Enduring the Evil 0
by Librius
Summary: Following an attack on the Ecliptic Express that leaves all but two passengers as undead, Rebecca Chambers of STARS Bravo Team is forced into a position she was unprepared for, protecting the two civilians while also trying to keep an escaped prisoner in her custody.
1. Prologue

**Oh boy, here we go again. So despite the fact that the Resident Evil 0 choice had less votes on the Poll on my profile, a part of me felt entirely obligated to write a far better, and more organised Enduring the Evil 1, 2 and 3, and to do that I ultimately had to go further back and start off with RE0. And considering the fact that I wrote those three stories a long time back when my writing skills weren't all that good, I'd like to think I could write them much better now that my writing skills have improved, as such if I'm going to write ETE4, 5 and 6, I need to first write RE0 and REwrite the first three stories in a more organised way while also fixing the many mistakes I know they had.**

 **For those of you worried about major changes, don't, the characters are still the same, this story just gives me the opportunity to write the characters in a more organised manner and flesh them out for a better written ETE1, 2 and 3, which will allow me to write ETE4, 5 and 6 to the best of my ability.**

 **Disclaimer: Resident Evil and its characters belong to Capcom obviously, any Original characters in this story belong to me.**

 **Summary: Following an attack on the Ecliptic Express that leaves all but two passengers as undead, Rebecca Chambers of STARS Bravo Team is forced into a position she was unprepared for, protecting the two civilians while also trying to keep an escaped prisoner in her custody.**

* * *

 **Enduring the Evil 0**

 **'Prologue'**

 ** _A small mid-western town in America: Raccoon City._**

 ** _A solitary island far off in the sea: Rockfort Island._**

 ** _An island that would become the second Raccoon City: Sheena Island._**

 ** _There are still many unanswered questions about these seemingly unrelated and_** ** _yet intensely traumatic events._**

 ** _Though it is believed that the international enterprise, Umbrella was somehow_** ** _involved, little is known as to the origin of this faceless corporation._**

 ** _When was it established?_**

 ** _By whom?_**

 ** _And how was the T-Virus created?_**

 ** _To uncover the truth, we must delve deeper into the events which transpired in_** ** _the beginning before the mansion incident._**

* * *

 ** **July 23, 1998****

 ** **Raccoon Forest, 20:17****

The Ecliptic Express was currently en route through the Raccoon Forest to the Umbrella Research Center.

Given it was owned and run by the Umbrella Corporation, it was no surprise that the entire train consisted solely of employees and researchers.

Some passengers were seated next to each other, having the usual business conversation, while others were seated alone, enjoying the peace and quiet or reading the newspaper.

With the exception of two passengers however, who were being a rather loud nuisance to some of their neighbouring passengers below them.

In one of the carriages, a young man, lean and tidy, looking about in his early twenties complete with an expensive black suit, was grabbed aside by one of the trains crew and dragged into the passage. The crewman whispered to him, "Tell those two up in the saloon to keep it down! We already got complaints about two non-employees being on this train, that was strike one. If you don't keep them quiet like you said you would then that's strike two, and you can look for another job."

The young man nodded, trying to brush aside the nervous feeling as the crew member walked away.

He was a rather good looking young guy, a good looking young business guy atleast. He had very short blonde hair that was gelled and combed back to match his young and tidy face. He had light blue eyes and a clean shaven face to complete the appearance of what he himself would like to think as the 'perfect businessman' look.

The sound of a guitar on the second floor of the carriage above forced a frustrated sigh out of him and he marched his way through the carriage and upstairs to the second floor.

As soon as he entered the saloon area of the carriage, the guitar stopped, the only two passengers in the entire saloon turning their eyes to him. "Hey Kyle, what's up?" The one with the guitar asked.

Kyle sighed with a hand over his forehead, replying, "Danny, would you please put that guitar away? I already got into trouble for bringing you guys along, if you don't keep it down I'm going to lose my job!"

The passenger, Danny, raised his hands in defeat and put the guitar back in its case. He wasn't an employee, his casual clothes in place of an expensive looking suit made that very clear

Danny was a young looking guy aswell, slightly younger looking than Kyle. He had neck length ginger hair and darkish green eyes, he was about average height, just a bit under six feet tall, with an average build and he overall looked just like any casual good looking jock from college with sharp facial features, although he personally considered himself half good looking, half cool looking.

Except tonight he was doing his best to look like a Rockstar, given his attire that consisted of a sleeveless black and white striped hoody with a black t-shirt underneath with the logo of a metal band, a pair of light blue jeans that were slightly ripped open on both knees and a pair of black and white trainers. He also had a cross pendant hanging around his neck.

Kyle looked over at the other passenger, adding, "Bryan, I was expecting this from you. Danny yeah, but mostly you."

The other passenger, Bryan, shrugged in response, "I play the drums Kyle, not the guitar, I suck at guitar."

Bryan was clearly around the same age as Danny, slightly younger looking though. He had short and messy dirty brown hair and light blue eyes, and he was shorter than the others, looking around five feet seven at most, and he had a slightly slim build, but still looked relatively fit. Compared to Danny, his facial features weren't as sharp, and if it weren't for the soft expression in his eyes, anyone would probably just see him as another casual street punk.

Compared to Danny though, Bryan was wearing a more tidy attire. He was wearing a thin black cargo jacket with a white t-shirt underneath that, like Danny's, also had the logo of a metal band, he was also wearing a pair of navy blue cargo pants and a pair of blue and white trainers.

Kyle shrugged at the teen, replying, "Whatever, just stop disturbing the passengers with all that noise."

"Alright calm down, you made your point, I'm sorry." Danny said with a wave of his hand.

A sigh, and Kyle sat down at the counter next to them, "No, it's okay. I'm the one who should be apologising. I'm just so stressed out right now, having to move so much so soon. I only just started working for Umbrella a month ago and already they're asking so much of me."

Danny nodded, "Yeah you're right. What's the big deal about this place you're moving to anyway? Did you ever find out?"

Kyle shook his head, "No. All I was told, was that I was to gather everything from my work and any belongings I needed and get on the train soon or it would leave without me."

"So you don't know anything?" Bryan asked, looking at him curiously.

Kyle looked back at him, in thought for a moment, "Well, I did hear a few of the older employees talking. Apparently it's a facility that's being reopened after twenty years of closure."

"Twenty years is a long time." Danny replied, "Why all of a sudden now do they want to reopen it?"

A shrug, and Kyle added, "You're asking the wrong guy there bro. Only been an employee for a month, I'm surprised I was even told about it. It must be super important though since they're getting everyone they can moved up there."

Bryan gave him a thumbs up, "Well good luck man. This might just be a lucky opportunity for you to move up in the business. The higher the position, the better the money."

Kyle chuckled, "Yeah, I'd like to think you're right, but I really doubt it. Don't get me wrong, the pay I get so far is pretty decent."

Taking a moment, Kyle looked back and forth between the two and added, "Thanks again guys, I really appreciate you helping me move all my work."

"Don't mention it bro, seriously, you've done a lot for us back in high school, seriously, we owe you a few favours." Danny said, giving his friend a thumbs up.

"Just a few?" Kyle raised a brow at him.

Danny shrugged, "Maybe a few more, I dunno."

Kyle chuckled, "Whatever man. Also, I don't want to sound like a broken record but remember, stay on the train. You can give me a hand to get my things off the train but that's it. I just told you minutes ago that I already got into trouble for bringing you guys along, they only allowed you onboard because you're both my 'hired help' as I told them. If you do anything other than what I 'hired' you for, I'll be heading back on the train with you looking for a new job."

Bryan groaned, "Oh my god Kyle, we get it. You don't need to drill it into our heads. We're not Connor."

Kyle leaned back a little, "Well excuse me if I don't want to take any chances."

"Relax Kyle, we're cool." Danny said.

Kyle looked at him, "Why did you guys volunteer anyway, Scott was willing to help me himself."

Bryan exchanged a glance with Danny, "Well, like we said, we you owe a few favours. And considering how stressed out you were, what better favour than to help you move all of your stuff."

Danny nodded with a chuckle, "And you sort of repaid that favour by getting us a ride on the sweetest train in Raccoon City."

"FUCK!" Kyle shot up from his seat, accidentally knocking it over as his two friends laughed at him. "You fucking manipulative fuckers!"

Danny was leaning on the counter as he struggled to breathe through his laughter, "I'm...I'm sorry man, we couldn't resist! Hahaha!"

Bryan just shook his head as he recovered from laughing, adding, "You should see your face dude, that was fucking priceless."

"You know, sometimes you guys are a lot smarter than you lead on. And I hate that." Kyle sighed.

Before either could reply, the sound of glass shattering grabbed their attention.

"What the fuck was that?" Danny asked getting up from his seat.

Kyle was about to respond, until he was interrupted by the sound of more glass shattering.

Followed by the sounds of the passengers screaming.

"What the hell is...ugh, you guys stay up here, and don't move!" Kyle said pointing a finger at them before rushing out of the carriage, leaving the two alone as they moved to hide behind the counter.

By the time he got downstairs, Kyle was greeted with a horrific sight as all of the passengers were running around screaming, others rolling around on the floor, all trying to yank off what looked like, leeches. "What the hell!"

Leeches were dropping from the ceiling everywhere, and already some of the passengers were dead, much to the young mans horror.

"H-Holy shit..." Kyle backed away, watching the passengers die.

He turned around, and another passenger, on their knees, grabbed onto him and looked him in the eye, "H-HELP ME!" The passenger screamed and fell to the floor writhing in pain as he tried to get rid of the leeches.

Kyle backed up some more and screamed in terror when he saw a leech on his arm where the passenger grabbed him.

He yanked it off, threw it onto the floor and stomped on it.

This didn't help him however, as more leeches continued to drop from the ceiling and, soon enough, numbers of them latched onto him.

Kyle screamed as he flailed about trying to get rid of the leeches, but his efforts were in vain.

Once they latched onto him, they wouldn't let go.

Kyle tried to run through the carriage but the leeches already devoured their way into his flesh.

He fell over next to the other passengers, still screaming with them.

Outside, standing on a cliff overlooking the train, a young man sang as the passengers all died one by one, their screams slowly dying out.

Until there was nothing but silence.

* * *

 **Two hours later**

 ** **Above Raccoon Forest****

A helicopter flew over Raccoon Forest towards its destination, and the STARS members inside were all quiet and prepared to begin the investigation they were sent to carry out.

 _'It began as a simple investigation of some bizarre murders in the suburbs of Raccoon City. Nothing in our training could ever have prepared us for the nightmare that ensued. We never stood a chance.'_

The somewhat peaceful silence the STARS members were relishing was interrupted by an explosion, and the helicopter started to go out of control.

"What's going on?" Captain Enrico asked as he looked into the cockpit, holding onto a support to prevent himself from falling over.

"Engine failure! Emergency landing!" Edward Dewey, the co-pilot responded.

The pilot, Kevin Dooley, struggled to stop the helicopter from descending rapidly, but with Edward's help, the two managed to get the helicopter under control just enough to make a proper landing.

However, as they descended down into the forest, the helicopter tail ended up hitting one of the trees, causing the helicopter to spin out of control, even as it landed roughly on the ground, until it finally stopped.

Fortunately the helicopter remained in one piece.

The STARS Bravo team members exited the helicopter one by one, Rebecca Chambers, the youngest member of the team and the teams medic, exiting last, but not before turning around and flashing a thumbs up at Kevin.

The pilot responded with a salute and watched her slide the helicopter door shut behind her after she left.

"Check the current position and investigate the surrounding area." Enrico said as the team spread out a little to search the area.

It was foggy, so it was quite difficult to make anything out, even more so since it was night time. However, as they searched, something quickly caught Rebecca's eye that was hard to miss.

A soft gasp escaped Rebecca as she made out an overturned truck. "Captain! Look!"

Richard Aiken, the teams communications expert, turned his flashlight towards the vehicle, identifying it by the MP marked on the side.

Rebecca gasped in shock as the flashlight landed on the dead bodies next to the vehicle, and Forest Speyer, the teams marksman, moved over to investigate them.

Enrico investigated too, Forest checking the other side of the overturned vehicle for anything as the captain peered over one of the dead bodies, looking for signs of what killed them.

"Captain!" Rebecca called out.

"Hm? What happened?" Enrico asked looking over in her direction, making his way over without noticing the slimy liquid substance that was slowly oozing down the vehicle.

Rebecca kneeled down and picked up a file from an open case on the ground, reading it aloud as her team members approached. "Court order for transportation. Prisoner: Billy Coen. Ex-lieutenant, twenty-six years old. Court-martialled and sentenced to death, July twenty-second. Prisoner is to be transferred to the Regarthon base for execution." She finished just as Edward took the file out of her hands.

The STARS member just frowned at the file and shook his head, "Those poor soldiers. They were good men just doing their jobs, and that scum murdered them and escaped!"

Enrico snatched the file from Edward and took a look at it, "All right, everyone. Let's separate and survey the area." He said turning to the rest of the team. "Our friend is brutal and ruthless. Keep your guard up."

The rest of Bravo team nodded in response and split up, moving in separate directions.

Kenneth Sullivan, the teams recon and point man, followed Richard and Forest, simply telling them, "If we split up, I'm going with you guys."

"Lead the way then point man." Forest replied with a grin, earning a chuckle from Richard.

Richard looked back for a moment, asking, "You think Rebecca will be fine on her own?"

Forest nodded, "Yeah, don't worry about her. She can handle herself, she's proved that enough times."

"She got into STARS at only eighteen years old, I think that says enough." Kenneth added.

Richard sighed, "I hope you're right."

The very STARS member they were talking about was by herself, slowly making her way through the forest while keeping an eye out for anything that moved. She made use of the flashlight attached to her gun, shining it in the dark areas she couldn't make out.

Of course, the fog itself was still an issue, but she wasn't going to let that stop her.

As she slowly walked through the forest, a loud sound caught her attention, forcing her to spin around, aiming her gun in the direction she heard it.

She narrowed her eyes to get a good look through the fog, making out a train just up ahead, sitting motionless on the tracks.

"A train?"

Rebecca aimed her gun and flashlight around the train, looking for anything of interest, but nothing stuck out. Not yet anyway.

As the STARS member slowly approached it, rain started to pour down.

Rebecca prepped her gun as she took small steps towards the train door, knowing it was quite possible the escaped prisoner could be hiding out in the train.

Maybe luck was on her side then, it would let her search for the escaped prisoner while keeping out of the rain.

After all, what could be worse than getting drenched?

* * *

 **Authors Notes: I already explained my reasons why I wanted to come back and start here up above, so that said, some of you are probably wondering why I chose only two of the main OC group for this story. Simple really, I don't feel they really showed enough character in the previous stories, someone pointed that out as they reviewed my stories and I agree they needed a chance to show more character. The lack of character descriptions was also a problem which, is something I just suck at, but I hope the, somewhat okay descriptions I gave were enough.**

 **While I'm at it, I plan on playing through Resident Evil 0 on PS4, so if you have one, feel free to add me and watch me die repeatedly on hard mode.**

 **Without making it sound too complicated, my current plan is to write this story, then Rewrite Enduring the Evil 1, 2 and 3, which, will be written way better than the originals(and hopefully quicker). As for the people who submitted their characters to 3, no need to do it again, as it is a Rewrite after all, it's the same story, but there will be changes.**

 **On that note, to ease the pressure and hopefully make quicker progress, I am open to accepting other Authors on here to help me Rewrite Enduring the Evil 1, 2 and 3. So if you're interested in helping out and assisting me in getting through the Rewriting process, send me a message.**

 **As always, please Review, the feedback is always appreciated.**


	2. Walking Dead

**So I watched all the E3 2018 Press Conferences, so yes I did see the Resident Evil 2 Remake trailer, and the other trailer. My thoughts? I really, really don't know. While I'm glad they showed it and all, finally, I'm a bit upset, and frustrated that the Remake is OTS and not Fixed Camera Angles like the original. I was REALLY hoping the Remake would be done the same way the first Resident Evil Remake was done. As for character designs, Leon looks great, but Claire's redesign was just too much in my opinion. Those are really the only issues I have with it honestly. Either way, I still plan on getting the game.**

 **Disclaimer: Resident Evil and its characters belong to Capcom obviously, any Original characters in this story belong to me.**

* * *

 ** ** ** ** ** **Chapter 2:  
 ** ** ** ** ** **  
 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **'Walking Dead'********************************************

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **Ecliptic Express********************************************

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **'Rebecca'************************************************************************************************************************************

Rebecca was glad to be out of the rain. But her relief didn't last long, and was quickly replaced with surprise and confusion.

When she entered the train, it immediately caught her attention that no one was present.

No passengers as far as she could tell.

Another thing that caught her attention was all of the luggage that was scattered all over the place.

And if that wasn't enough, the most alarming thing that caught her attention were the red stains on the seats.

The first thing that came to mind was that there could have been a riot on the train, and some people got injured in the process, but she quickly ruled that out, there would have been some people present even if that were the case.

Rebecca took a good look for anything else and finally decided to move on, heading towards the dining car.

However, that was no longer an option when she discovered the door to the dining car was locked.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Rebecca turned and made her way towards the door at the other end of the car she was in.

As she made her way towards the door, another thought occurred to her.

The escaped prisoner.

Perhaps he was involved somehow.

It seemed to add up so far. The train, motionless, there were no passengers present so far, and everything was a complete mess, not to mention the seats were stained red with blood. And then there was the military truck that he was kept in, not far away.

The more she thought about it, the more it seemed to make sense.

So far, her assumption was, that the train had possibly been hijacked by people associated with the escaped prisoner. Then, they could have stopped the train, left it and intercepted the military truck transporting the prisoner.

And after he was retrieved, it was possible they were planning on using the train to get away completely.

However, that last part of her assumption seemed off.

For one, if they were planning on using the train to get away, would it not have gone by now? Secondly, the fact that the train was still there when she found it.

She wasn't sure how recent the prisoner's escape was, but at the very least, they would have taken off before she found the train.

Rebecca was so deep in her thoughts that she hadn't realised there was a voice speaking after she entered the next car.

Looking around, she called out, "This Officer Chambers from STARS Bravo team. Please identify yourself."

"Is someone there?" She added as she slowly made her way through the car.

She saw someone slumped in their seat up ahead, and as she got closer, the voice got louder.

However, as soon as Rebecca got close enough to get a look at the persons face, she recoiled with a gasp, a look of horror on her face.

The person was dead.

He had marks all over his body, most noticeably on his neck and face.

What stuck out was the fact that he looked like he had been dead for a while now, his skin was completely dark and rotten.

Rebecca turned her attention to the source of the voice, a portable radio on the floor next to the mans feet.

She reached down, picking it up and just looked at it as she started to rethink her assumption on the situation.

If the train was hijacked, surely the hijackers wouldn't have been so careless as to kill everyone onboard. Then again, this could also have been the handiwork of the escaped prisoner.

Captain Enrico did say the fugitive was brutal and ruthless, and all of the dead people she could now see on the train certainly seemed to match the work of someone who fitted those traits.

Rebecca made a silent vow to herself to ensure those responsible for all of these dead people would face justice.

Just as she turned the radio off however, she caught movement at the corner of her eye and looked over in shock as the dead man slowly got up from the seat and started to approach her.

One look at the mans pale, lifeless eyes and Rebecca turned to make a run for it.

But she was quickly stopped in her tracks when she saw two more men, who were in the same dead looking state as the first, slowly approaching her from the door she came in.

She had no idea where they had come from, and, she just didn't understand at all.

They were supposed to be dead.

And, yet they were up and walking.

Rebecca looked back at the first one, and reached for her gun. "S-Stay back! I have a gun!"

Neither of them seemed to acknowledge what she said, the three dead men still slowly walking towards her.

Moving quick, Rebecca managed to slip around the first one and backed away to get some distance between her and them.

Finally, she pulled her gun out, "I...I'm warning you! If you don't stay back, I-I'll be forced to shoot you!"

No acknowledgement.

It was as if they were completely deaf to her words.

She had no idea what to do.

But just one long look at them was enough to tell her that if she didn't defend herself right now, she would be in trouble.

Rebecca tightened her grip around her gun and aimed it.

Her hands started to shake as she watched the three walking corpses slowly limp towards her.

They were already dead.

She told herself that in her head over and over as she struggled to pull the trigger.

* * *

 **Ecliptic Express**

Elsewhere on the train...

Two survivors hid in a room just next to the saloon.

One was sitting on the floor, his back up against the door, clutching his cross pendant in his hand as he mumbled to himself.

The other was sitting down on the other side of the room next to the bed, clutching the hunting gun that he found inside, looking like he was on the verge of having a panic attack.

Besides the mumbling of one of them, and heavy, worried breathing of the other, it was very quiet.

"..and so I plead to you now to help us make it out of this and...and please give us a sign, that help will come. Amen." Danny mumbled, louder now, holding his clutched hand to his forehead before slowly bringing it down and kissing the cross pendant.

He looked over at Bryan in the corner, "Hey, are you doing okay?"

Bryan turned to him, and his eyes gave Danny the answer.

Fear, worry, shock, and that was just a few.

"I...I-I don't even...t-there were so many people down there. T-They're all...dead. A-All of them." Bryan stuttered on his words, struggling to just speak.

Danny gulped, taking a deep breath, a worried one, "I...I know."

Bryan looked at him again, "K-Kyle...he went d-down there. Do you t-think he...?"

Shaking his head, Danny simply replied, "I'm...I'm trying not to...think about that right now bro."

Tears were already forming in Bryan's eyes as he looked back at the floor, "W-What the fuck happened man? P-People are dead! And those, things, outside the r-room..."

"Hey..." Danny said, getting to his feet and walking over to his friend. "W-Why don't you get some rest, I'll keep watch."

Bryan looked up at him, confused, "How c-come you aren't-"

"I am." Danny interrupted, and as he held out his hand to take the hunting gun from him, Bryan could indeed see Danny's hand, shaking.

Another look, and Bryan took his hand, letting Danny help him to his feet before giving him the hunting gun.

As Bryan sat down on the bed, he asked, "You think...you think someone will notice we're m-missing? You think they'll s-send help?"

Danny sat down in front of the door, hunting gun firmly gripped in his hands.

Just as he was about to respond, the faint sound of gunshots caught their attention.

Managing a little smile, Danny replied, "Yes."

He raised a hand to his chest, clutching the cross pendant hanging from his neck.

* * *

 **Ecliptic Express**

 **'Rebecca'**

Rebecca backed away as she looked down at the corpses on the floor.

They were motionless, and it seemed like they weren't going to be getting up this time.

"What just happened? I-I thought they were dead." She said, still unsure how to process what happened.

When she gunned them down, the first couple of bullets didn't even seem to faze them.

And with not many other options since they were slowly getting closer, Rebecca was forced to take them down with a shot to the head.

They went down immediately, just like that when she shot each of them in the head, and though she was relieved for a moment, she remembered there was currently many more dead passengers on the train.

She turned her attention to the other dead passengers that were slumped on their seats.

None of them were getting back up like the others did.

But that didn't mean they weren't going to.

Deciding not to stick around and find out, Rebecca immediately turned and made her way into the next car.

The carriage she was in now was narrow, with several rooms along the way.

Wanting to leave nothing unchecked, she entered the first room.

Already, she was greeted with the sight of another dead passenger, laying lifeless on the bottom bunk of the bunk bed in the room.

Rebecca immediately felt sorry for the poor man, who looked like was killed in his sleep.

She approached the bunk bed, taking a good look around the room while keeping an eye on the dead passenger, making sure he didn't get up and catch her by surprise like the others did.

While searching, she found what appeared to be the passengers diary on a stool under the desk.

Curious if there was anything that could give her information as to what happened, Rebecca decided to give the diary a quick read.

 _ **'July 14th**_

 _ **Orders came from the boss today.**_

 _ **Looks like we're in charge of investigating the remains of the Arklay Mountains Laboratory.**_

 _ **We're moving in two groups. The initial group is assigned to start checking what's left of the abandoned experiment.**_

 _ **July 16th**_

 _ **Unfortunately, the test production of the B.O.W.(Type–Y139) had to be suspended because of this investigation.**_

 _ **It's the same with Type–Y139. There's still so much we don't know about responses to the crustacean t-virus. There's a lot of interesting research left...**_

 _ **Depending on the species and nurturing conditions, only minute doses of "T" bring about remarkable changes in solidity, size, multiplication of internal toxins and brain development. If these effects can be controlled, a powerful weapon could be produced.**_

 _ **But the sudden development of the shell results in corresponding fragility. Certain areas become exceedingly weak.**_

 _ **Problematically, one of these areas is the head carapace.**_

 _ **This lab we are going to, were they pursuing the same research? It would certainly help to find data and samples that would help us in our research.**_

 _ **July 19th**_

 _ **The day is finally approaching...I am growing more anxious.**_

 _ **The Raccoon City newspapers and TV stations are full of reports about the bizarre murders in the suburbs.**_

 _ **It can't be the virus.**_

 _ **Can it? If it is...**_

 _ **No, I can't think of that now. I have to concentrate on this investigation and make sure it goes smoothly.'**_

Rebecca was silent for a long moment, trying to make sense of what she read.

Even after giving it another quick read, she still couldn't figure out what to make of it.

On one hand, she knew it couldn't be anything good.

"If these effects can be controlled, a powerful weapon could be produced." Rebecca quietly repeated a part of the diary to herself.

That part alone immediately told her that something was going on.

She didn't know what exactly, but it was not good at all.

Rebecca closed the diary and put it on the desk, making a mental note to come back for it when she was done searching the train. Captain Enrico would probably want to take a look at it himself.

She exited the room and made her way into the next one.

Thankfully there was no dead passenger on the bed this time, though luggage was strewn all over the place, much like everywhere else.

Besides the typewriter on the desk, the only thing catching Rebecca's eye was the open suitcase on the bottom bunk of the bunk bed, and a torn file next to it.

Rebecca figured it would be better to check out what was left of the paper, just in case it had more information.

She was annoyed however when she noticed some sections were illegible due to bloodstains.

Either way, she tried to make out what she could as she read it.

 ** _'8 miles north of Raccoon City, in the Arklay Mountains, lies our comp ny's Management training facility. It was shut down years ag ._**

 ** _Now, w are conducting a preliminary tudy into the re-opening of the faci ities._**

 ** _First Investigation Unit is alre dy on-site and opening th investi ation, I want yo r team to provide suppo t._**

 ** _The following orders re Will m Birk and 1s I ves gat o Un t.'_**

Unfortunately, the rest of the letter as she noticed earlier, was all torn and unreadable, much to her annoyance, as she likely would have gotten answers from the rest of it.

Shaking her head in frustration, Rebecca turned and exited the room, continuing her way through the train car.

There was another room along the way, the Conductors Office, but this time the door was locked, so Rebecca was forced to leave it for now and move on.

By the time she reached the end of the car, she recoiled in surprise when she saw a dead train employee slumped up against the wall.

Much like every other dead person she found, his body was completely, and brutally, torn apart.

Noticing something in the employees hand, Rebecca slowly put her gun away and kneeled down in front of the corpse.

She reached towards the lifeless employees hand, all while making sure to keep her eyes on any sign of movement from him, prepared to jump away in case he got back up like the others.

Thankfully it didn't come to that, and Rebecca took the train key without any trouble.

Or so she thought.

Rebecca could hear footsteps creeping up behind her.

Slowly, she turned and rose up, first looking at the handgun that was pointed at her, then locking eyes with the man that was holding it.

A man she recognised instantly.

"Billy...Lieutenant Coen."

The escaped prisoner, Billy Coen, just stared at her, "So, you seem to know me. Been fantasizing about me, have you?"

"You were the prisoner that was being transferred for execution. You were with those soldiers outside." Rebecca replied.

Billy stared at her for a moment, before replying, "Oh, I see. You're with STARS. Well, no offense, honey, but your kind doesn't seem to want me around." He lowered his gun and put it away, adding, "So I'm afraid our little chat time is over."

Just like that, Billy walked away.

"Wait!" Rebecca however rushed after him, stopping him in his tracks, "You're under arrest!"

Billy looked over at her, almost smirking at her statement, "No thanks, doll-face." He replied, showing her the pair of handcuffs dangling from his wrist. "I've already worn handcuffs."

Again, he walked away.

"I could shoot, you know." Rebecca said as he walked away from her.

Ultimately, she didn't end up reaching for her gun, and just let him be for now.

She turned back and exhaled in frustration.

At least she now knew where the escaped prisoner was. It was only a matter of contacting the others now to inform them of her location.

Her train of thought was interrupted however as something, someone, came crashing through one of the windows behind her.

Rebecca turned and looked on in shock as she saw Edward struggle to sit himself up against the wall.

"Edward!" She ran to his side and looked at the wounds on his body, "Are you alright? What happened?"

The older STARS member hissed in pain, "It's worse than...we can't..." He looked Rebecca in the eye, "You must be careful, Rebecca. The forest is full of...z-zombies...and monsters..."

"Zombies and monsters?" Rebecca repeated, immediately recalling the walking dead passengers from earlier.

"Ugh, ahh..." Edward's head went limp, and he seemingly succumbed to his wounds.

Before Rebecca could do anything to help, something else came crashing through the other window behind her.

She looked over and saw the source.

A dog.

Or at least, a dog that looked like it had been dead for a while and then got back up.

It was just like the dead passengers from earlier.

Rebecca didn't need to think twice about what to do and immediately made a run for it.

The dog jumped at her and she just barely dodged it by ducking out of the way.

As she ran back down the car, another dog jumped through a window in front of her, stopping her in her tracks.

Rebecca quickly ran on while the dog was getting back to its feet, not even daring to look back as she heard them continue to give chase.

Fast as she could, Rebecca opened the door to the previous train car and slammed it shut behind her.

Just in time to hear the dogs bang against the door.

It wasn't over yet however.

Before she could stop to catch her breath, Rebecca looked up and saw several 'zombies' standing around the train car.

Not willing to give them a chance to catch her, Rebecca made a run for it, sprinting down the car while the zombies were out of the way.

Very quickly, she made it to the other side of the car and wasted little time opening the door to the next one and shutting it tight behind her.

Finally, she was greeted with the sight of an empty car, no zombies, no zombies...dogs, nothing. She could finally catch her breath.

She was surprised, then relieved when she heard the sound of her radio beeping.

"This is Rebecca. Over." Rebecca said, speaking into the radio.

 _"Rebecca? Can you hear me? This is Enrico. What's your location? Over."_

The static in the radio made it hard for Rebecca to hear him clearly. "Enrico! Hello! Can you read me? Please respond!"

 _"Rebecca, I can hear you. Now listen up. We've obtained detailed information on the fugitive from a document found in the wrecked wagon. _Billy Coen killed as many as...__

 _ _ _ _Twenty-three people. Over."____

Rebecca gasped, "Twenty-three people?" She nervously repeated to herself.

 _"We have also confirmed that he was institutionalized. So keep your guard up. Can you hear me, Rebecca? Over."_

 _"Stay alert, Rebecca. He wouldn't think twice before killing you."_

Rebecca recovered from her shock when the static cut Enrico off. "Enrico! Captain! Hello? Hello?!"

She pressed the buttons on the radio in a hopeful attempt to get in contact again, but to no avail.

Deciding to try later, Rebecca moved on, making her way to the end of the car with the locked door to the dining car.

As she started to unlock the door, she could hear movement behind her.

Looking over her shoulder, she could see a couple of zombies getting up from behind the seats.

How did she not notice them before?

It didn't matter, the door to the dining car was unlocked now, so she wasted no time heading through and closing it tight behind her.

Moving around the train was going to get difficult if more of the dead passengers got up.

Rebecca approached the door to the kitchen and, much to her frustration, it was locked. She made a mental note to start expecting to come across more locked doors.

From the look of it, it seemed the door required power, so hopefully she could find something that would start it up.

Looking over, she saw a piece of paper on the desk in the corner next to the stairs.

She walked over to pick it up, hoping it would give her something go on.

 _ **'When closing the dining car, supervisors are asked to switch off the automatic doors after ensuring all staff have vacated the car.**_

 _ **The main automatic doors power switch is located on the roof of the fifth car.**_

 _ **Inspections will take place when the train is garaged.**_

 _ **After inspections are complete, use the ladder at the rear of the second floor of the dining car.**_

 _ **Umbrella Corp.**_

 _ **Maintenance Department'**_

"Well, I guess that helps, sort of." Rebecca quietly said to herself.

Before she could move on, she heard the door behind her opening.

She quickly turned, expecting to see a zombie.

Only to find Billy instead.

Right now, she didn't know whether to be somewhat relieved, or more worried.

Billy approached her, and said, "It's gonna be dangerous from here on in. Why don't we cooperate?"

"Cooperate with you?" Rebecca replied, looking surprised that he even suggested it.

The escaped prisoner did a good job keeping a stoic expression as he replied, "Listen, little girl. If you haven't noticed, there are some pretty freaked out things on this train, and I for one want to get out of here." He stood on the stairs, leaning against the railing, adding, "I don't think we stand a chance doing it alone."

Rebecca just glared at him, "You expect me to trust you? A wanted felon? I don't need your help. I can handle this on my own." She pointed a finger at him, "And don't call me little girl."

Billy chuckled slightly, playfully flicking Rebecca's forehead with his hand, "Alright, Miss Do-It-Yourself. What should I call you?"

"The name is Rebecca Chambers. But that's Officer Chambers to you." Rebecca tried to say as professionally as she could.

"Well then, Rebecca." Billy replied, walking over to the door and resting his back against it. "Why don't you go and try, while I wait here." He folded his arms and just stared at her, expecting another childish response.

Rebecca decided not to humour him however, and made her way upstairs, since it was the only way to go.

As soon as she made it up to the diner, she instantly caught sight of, what looked to be a live passenger.

An old man.

Slowly, Rebecca approached the old man. When he didn't seem to acknowledge her presence, Rebecca quietly called out, "Umm...excuse me, sir?"

No response came from the old man.

Rebecca put a hand on his shoulder, gently shaking him, "Sir?"

His head moved, as if he was turning to look at her.

Then it turned even more than it should have, until it fell off of his body and landed at her feet.

Rebecca gasped, then screamed as she watched the rest of the old mans body fall to pieces.

The pieces of the old mans body fell into piles of slime, then, dozens of little leech creatures emerged. The leeches all merged into one big pile and starting growing bigger, and bigger.

Soon the large pile of leeches started to take form.

A human shape was the result of the leeches merging together. They disappeared into the body covered in slime, and the head of the body lunged forward and sneered at Rebecca.

It was the old man, except this time he looked, just like a slimy zombie.

Rebecca quickly backed away, as far as she could and pulled out her handgun.

The 'old man' limped towards her, and then lunged his arm out at her.

Rebecca just barely dodged the arm that stretched across the room and tried to hit her.

Acting fast, Rebecca aimed as good and as quick as she could, and shot the old man in the head.

The old mans head split open in response to the bullet, and then the entire body fell apart.

All of the leeches separated and starting bouncing on the floor towards Rebecca so fast she couldn't react in time.

Rebecca screamed as the leeches swarmed all over her body in seconds.

But just as she was about to accept her fate as leech food, she heard the sound of gunshots, and the leeches dropped from her body in piles.

Rebecca fell to her knees, and looked over to see Billy approaching from the stairs, gun in hand.

In the blink of an eye, several leeches shot into the air towards him.

Billy reacted with surprisingly quick reflexes however, leaping sideways into the air and accurately took down the leeches with a couple of shots.

Upon landing on the floor, Billy looked over and saw all of the other leeches slowly sliding back into the shadows, out of sight.

Getting to his feet, Billy approached Rebecca while keeping his guard up, asking, "Are you ok?"

Rebecca smiled slightly and responded with a thumbs up.

Billy smirked a little, then took cover behind the table as he heard, singing, outside the train.

The two of them looked out the window and saw a cloaked young man standing on the hill, apparently the source of the singing.

Thunder and lightning lit up the hill briefly, just enough for them to make out his face and his long hair.

What else they noticed however, were dozens and dozens of leeches outside gathering around the cloaked man.

Except they weren't attacking him.

"Who is that guy?" Billy asked, but not really expecting an answer from Rebecca.

The two of them nearly fell over when the train started up, and began moving again.

"What's going on? Who's controlling the train?" Rebecca asked.

Billy looked around, "Go and check out the first engine car."

Just as Rebecca was about to take off, Billy stopped her, "Listen! We gotta cooperate with each other from now on. You got that?"

Rebecca looked reluctant to agree, "Well, I don't-"

"Clue in, girl!" Billy interrupted. "Or maybe you like being worm bait."

A sigh, and Rebecca finally relented. "Alright. But you just remember, I will shoot you if you try anything funny!" She said, pointing a finger at him.

"Fine. Now, take these with you." Billy replied, tossing Rebecca a box of handgun bullets.

She caught it and put it in her pack.

"If you find anything, give me a call. Alright?" Billy added, showing Rebecca his radio.

Rebecca took out her own radio, then nodded at him.

She remembered the piece of paper she read earlier mentioned the power switch for the door below was on the roof of the train.

Which meant, she had to go to the roof.

Of a speeding train.

She mentally kicked herself, for not doing so before it started back up.

* * *

 **Authors Notes: I likely would have gotten this chapter done and posted much quicker if it wasn't for the fact that just trying to write something besides cutscenes, wasn't so difficult. That's the hard part about writing these stories. That said, I might be able to get the next one done a little faster since that's where things might start to take off. To save time, I plan on making sure that every boss fight will be short and specific, as in I don't plan on writing paragraphs per fight. I'll take a realistic look at how many bullets it would take to kill an overgrown scorpion.**

 **In response to a question about submitting OC's, I was originally thinking about accepting OC Submissions for this story, but ultimately chose not to because I wanted Bryan and Danny's character development to be more in the spotlight alongside Rebecca and Billy. Plus, I really, really don't see any other possible way to fit in other characters, so no, there won't be any OC Submissions for this one.**

 **Also to save time, I won't be including every tedious puzzle from the game, there will be a few brief time jumps, because who wants to read a story about figuring out puzzles and backtracking throughout the majority of the story? Yeah, I wouldn't either.**

 **Anyway, as usual, please Review, the feedback is always appreciated.**


	3. Survivors

**This chapter is the perfect example of getting one done in a good period of time when I have a bit to work with as I literally started and finished this within four days, so I'm feeling pretty good right now. Anyway this chapter is where things should start to speed up. Also, on the topic of how many chapters this story is going to have, I don't know yet, as it also depends on how much I fit in per chapter, what I can say, is that I'm going to push myself to make sure this story does NOT take five years to finish. In fact, if I can keep getting chapters done this quickly, this story might be finished within, well, that's hard to say right now. On that note, let's just get right to it.**

 **Disclaimer: Resident Evil and its characters belong to Capcom obviously, any Original characters in this story belong to me.**

* * *

 ** ** ** ** ** **Chapter 3:  
 ** ** ** ** ** **  
 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **'Survivors'********************************************

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **Ecliptic Express********************************************

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **'Rebecca'************************************************************************************************************************************

Rebecca couldn't believe she was doing this.

She had to shield her face with a hand from both the wind and the rain as she slowly, and very carefully, made her way across the roof of the train.

If there was any other option, she would have went with it.

Unfortunately, the power switch was on the roof of the fifth car, so she didn't have much of a choice.

Fortunately, she didn't have to walk far, seeing the power switch just up ahead.

She had to circle around a large hole in the roof to make it to the switch, and quickly looked to find out what the problem was.

When she saw the power cable was disconnected, she carefully reconnected it.

With that issue hopefully solved, Rebecca was about to head back, until she saw a large mass of slime oozing from underneath the cables.

In the blink of an eye, the slime, or rather, what appeared to be the leeches, shot out at her, and Rebecca screamed as she fell back and through the hole in the roof.

Landing with a loud thud, Rebecca took a moment to recover before getting back to her feet.

"Rebecca! Is that you in you there?!"

She could hear Billy's voice coming from the other side of the door in the pantry she fell in.

"Yeah, don't worry I'm fine! The door below should be open now!" She called out. She then moved to open the door, only to find it out was locked. "Uh oh. Billy, the door's locked, can you open it from your side?"

She heard him attempt to open the door, the fact that it didn't open told her enough. "No good, it's stuck! I think there's something blocking it!"

Rebecca looked around and saw a key next to the door. After looking over at the service lift, she grabbed the key and went to put it inside. "Billy! Go to the service lift in the kitchen! I'm sending you a key! Try and find something that can open this door!"

* * *

 **Ecliptic Express**

 **'Billy'**

"Got it! I'll be back as soon as I can!"

Billy wasted no time rushing his way back downstairs. He was relieved that Rebecca managed to fix the automatic door to the kitchen when he saw it open up upon his approach.

With gun in hand, Billy quickly, and carefully, moved into the kitchen and over to the service lift.

He opened it up and took the key inside.

Examining it, he noted it was the key to the conductor room.

Remembering where the room was, Billy sprinted his way back through the train cars.

There were already zombies present in the first one, but Billy managed to get by them with ease. The fact that they were extremely slow was their biggest weakness, and one Billy had no problem taking advantage of.

When he made it into the second car, he scanned the area, and was immediately taken by surprise when a zombie, that was beside the door, grabbed hold of him.

Acting fast, Billy pushed back, then lifted his leg to kick the zombie away.

While it was slowly getting back to its feet, Billy, rather than waste bullets, sprinted right down the car and made it into the passage of the next one, making sure to close the door behind him.

This time he came across two zombies dogs, fortunately, they didn't seem to notice him however.

He took advantage, and took the time to aim his gun and land a clean headshot on one them.

It worked, the shot took it out, but alarmed the other one, which was already running towards Billy.

He waited until the last second, when the dog leaped into the air, before stepping to the side and dodging it, causing the dog to crash into the wall.

As soon as it landed on the floor, Billy pinned the zombie dog with his foot and put it out of its misery, shooting it in the head.

"Stay." Billy said as the zombie dog ceased to move.

Knowing he needed to get Rebecca out of the pantry, he continued his way through the passage until he made it to the conductor room.

He opened the door with the key and entered, bracing himself for any zombie that was waiting inside.

Thankfully, there was none.

He took a good look around the room and noticed a piece of paper on the floor. When he saw it was a note from the conductor, he got curious and started reading.

 _ **'The key card for the Driver's Compartment is in my bag as always. _ **But I need the other guy's key too to open the damn thing.**_**_

 _ ** _ **But, it looks like I've lost it somewhere.**_**_

 _ ** _ **If it was a normal key, someone would be sure to turn it in, but this key is different.**_**_

 _ ** _ **I'll look for it too, but if you happen to find it, please hand it in.**_**_

 _ ** _ **Thanks in advance.'**_**_

That information was probably helpful.

Billy moved to open the closet and see this bag, only to find nothing.

"Well, that's, not good." He muttered to himself, as he recalled the door to the driver's compartment was locked, and without the key card, they would have no way of getting to it.

It was only now that Billy noticed there was a drop down ladder in the room, leading up to the floor above.

He thought for a moment, and assumed someone must have already used it, perhaps before the train was stopped.

Either way, it made it easier for him.

Billy made his way up the ladder and found himself in the saloon car.

Besides a few seats that he could see had fallen over, and all of the smashed bottles on the floor, likely caused by the emergency brake, the saloon car was pretty much intact and untouched.

He looked at all of the bottles stocked up behind the counter and for a moment, entertained the idea of a drink.

But knowing the gravity of the situation he was in, and with Rebecca trapped in the pantry, he continued on his way, making his way down the saloon car.

Until a loud high-pitched roar stopped him in his tracks.

Billy looked up for the source just as he heard something, stomping across the roof of the train.

Tightening his grip around his handgun, Billy increased his pace as he made his way through the saloon.

As soon as he reached the end, he opened the door and closed it behind him as he entered the passage of the next car.

Upon entering, Billy's eyes immediately landed on a room service trolley next to the door. He gave it a quick look to see if there was anything that would be of help, but all he could see were plates and bottles.

He shook his head in frustration and continued on down the passage, but stopped instantly.

At the end of the passage in front of him were piles and piles of eggs.

Dozens if not hundreds of eggs, all covered in slime.

Billy slowly inched forward, approaching the eggs at a snails pace.

Upon closer inspection, and noting their size, Billy put two and two together and immediately assumed that those leeches came from these eggs.

With the rest of the passage blocked by the eggs, Billy's only other option was the door next to him.

He gave another brief look at the eggs, making sure they weren't going to hatch with his back turned.

Once he felt it was safe to turn his back, Billy opened the door...

"FUCK OFF!"

And he just barely stopped someone from hitting him over the head with a shotgun, acting on instinct and stopping it with his hand.

Both of them paused, giving Billy enough time to look his attacker in the eye.

A young teen, just a kid, probably no older than Rebecca.

"Easy there kid, I'm not gonna hurt you." Billy said calmly.

The attacker panted heavily with relief, letting go of the hunting gun and slowly fell to his knees as he started to cry, "I'm s-sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..." He apologised over and over.

Billy calmly shushed him, closing the door behind him before speaking up, "Calm down, it's alright." He looked over and saw another young teen sitting beside the bed in the room, curled up and holding an ice pick.

"Hey, you can relax now, everything's okay." Billy said as he put his gun away, kneeling down to look the young teen in the eye. "My name's Billy, Billy Coen, what's yours?"

The young teen wiped his eyes as he started to calm down, "I'm...I'm Daniel Bleyker, b-but my friends call me Danny."

Billy nodded, smiling a little and holding out his hand, "Good to meet you Danny."

Danny looked at his hand in surprise for a moment, then shook it, managing a little smile of his own, "I'm sorry, for breaking down like that. I'm just...so happy that someone else is here besides us."

Billy chuckled, "That makes two of us..." He looked over at the other young teen, who was slowly getting to his feet, "What's your name?"

"B-Bryan, Bryan Hunter." He replied quietly.

Another nod, and Billy held his hand out, "Good to meet you Bryan."

Bryan recoiled, looking at Billy's hand, or more precisely, the handcuffs around his wrist.

Danny himself only now noticed the handcuffs, and gave Billy a wary look.

It didn't take long for Billy to notice what they were looking at, and pulled his hand away. "...Yeah. I'd probably be cautious too if I was face to face with someone wearing handcuffs."

"What were you arrested for?" Bryan asked.

Billy shrugged, "Doesn't matter, I don't think this is the best time to explain right now anyway. All I can do is ask you to trust me, and I'll do what I can to get you both to safety."

The two exchanged wary glances, something that didn't escape Billy's notice, prompting him to add, "I promise, you can trust me."

Bryan noticed the dog tags hanging around Billy's neck, and asked, "Are you military?"

"United States Marine Corps." Billy replied. "Formerly, that is."

Danny nodded, "Close enough. One of our friends was also a part of the United States Marine Corps."

"Danny just say USMC. It's shorter and faster for crying out loud." Bryan said.

Billy chuckled, "He has a good point."

Rolling his eyes, Danny replied, "Whatever."

For a moment, Billy took another good look at them, and noted their attire. Danny looked like he was part of a rock band, while Bryan looked just like any casual person you'd pass by in the streets, minus the cargo jacket that was probably a size bigger than what he usually wears. He had a neutral look in his eyes now, calm for the most part, which Billy supposed was a lot better than the frightened look he saw in his eyes earlier. Their attire didn't match any of the suits that all of the other 'passengers' were wearing.

They were most certainly not with the rest of the passengers on this train. Billy could tell right away.

So what were they doing on this train?

Figuring it was better to do so now rather than later, Billy asked them, "This train was for specific passengers, and you guys don't really, fit that requirement. What exactly are the two of you doing on this train?"

Bryan and Danny exchanged looks, and the latter replied, "Well, one of our friends was with everyone else on this train. He was moving to some new workplace that got reopened and needed help moving, pretty much everything he had, which was a lot."

"We offered to help. Just to his new workplace and back again, but..." Bryan looked away, struggling to continue.

Danny continued for him, "But perhaps, coming along was, very likely one of the worst ideas we ever had. I want to say I regret offering to help him but, I can't say that."

Billy shook his head, understanding their situation, and replied, "Hey, don't worry about it. You were just helping your friend, neither of you could have possibly predicted all of this. Killer leeches, zombies and monsters-"

"Zombies and monsters? What?" Danny recoiled now, looking at him in shock.

Bryan looked just as surprised.

Billy was also surprised a little, causing him to ask, "You...don't know?"

The both of them shook their heads, and Billy added, "Oh boy, where do I start here?"

Danny raised a hand, "Look, Billy, just, just give it to us straight. We're already on edge, the killer leeches were bad and scared the shit out of us, but we would prefer just knowing everything that's going on down there."

Billy sighed, "Ok, just, try and remain calm."

"No promises." Bryan said, starting to look nervous.

Taking a deep breath, Billy replied, "...Every dead passenger on this train have all come back and are now walking around as mindless, flesh-eating zombies."

Silence followed.

And it lasted for quite a long moment as Danny and Bryan both stared quietly at Billy, processing what he said.

Danny then finally opened his mouth to speak, "...Holy shit, y-you're...you're serious aren't you? Like, you said that with a straight face too."

Billy nodded, "I am serious, trust me. There are walking corpses down there right now looking for living, breathing people to rip apart. How long were the both of you on this train after the attack? You weren't aware of any of them?"

"Our friend told us to stay in the saloon when we heard everyone screaming for their lives." Bryan explained, "When the train stopped and everything was quiet, we came out of our hiding place to go and find out what happened. We saw dead bodies everywhere, some still covered in leeches, so we wasted no time rushing back up to the saloon where it was safe."

Danny continued for him, "It wasn't long after that, that we discovered the passage we took, the one just outside this room, was blocked completely by dozens and dozens of those eggs. The ones I'm sure you saw."

Billy nodded, "Yeah, I saw them. No way I could miss all of those."

"So we tried to be quiet. While we were hiding, we saw that there was a ladder behind the saloon counter that went down into the conductor room. We went down there, only to find out that the door was locked. So we went around the room, scavenging for anything useful, and went back up into the saloon." Danny explained.

Upon hearing the explanation, Billy finally got his answer as to why the ladder had been used.

Bryan then spoke up, "There were...noises, outside, on the roof of the train. Like something big was stomping across the roof. I...I panicked and suggested to Danny that we hide in this room, so that's what we did."

"Don't forget that creepy singing we heard." Danny added. "But yeah, we've been hiding in this room since then."

Billy nodded, "I see." He smiled a little, patting Danny and Bryan's shoulders, "You did good, surviving this long. Just stick with me now, I'll do what I can to get you guys out of here."

His compliment lifted their spirits a little judging by the relieved looks on their faces.

Seeing the ice pick in Bryan's hand, Billy then remembered, "Oh yeah, listen, there's, a STARS officer on this train. She's currently trapped in the pantry over in the dining car. Something stuck in the door I think. Any chance you could hand over that ice pick? It might just help."

Bryan looked at the ice pick for a second, then handed it over, "S-Sure. Um, you don't...think we'll get in trouble do you?"

Billy took the ice pick and put it into his pocket, "Of course not. You had a legal reason for being on this train, it's not your fault it got attacked out of nowhere."

"Um, we found this too Billy." Danny said, handing Billy a key card. "It was in a briefcase we found in the conductor room. Though it needed two, really weird ring keys to open it."

"Thanks." Billy said taking the key card, "This will let us get to the drivers compartment, maybe then we can stop this train and get off it."

Danny picked up the briefcase the key card was previously in and handed it to Bryan. He then picked up a guitar case and hung the strap over his shoulder.

When he noticed Billy looking at him, Danny said, "I paid a lot of money for this. No way in hell am I leaving it behind."

Bryan smiled a little, "He likes his guitars."

Billy nodded, "Yeah...I can tell." He looked down and picked up the hunting gun Danny almost hit him with. "Just out of curiosity, why didn't you use it to shoot?"

Danny looked away, "I've...never fired a gun before. And the thought of pulling that trigger alone just scared the hell out of me."

"I'm not complaining." Billy said with shrug. "If anything I'm glad. If you did use it to shoot, I'd probably be dead." He checked the hunting gun, then asked, "Two shots, are there any more shells?"

Bryan opened up the briefcase and showed it to Billy, "Yeah, there was a few extra shells, I put them in here."

Billy looked in the briefcase and nodded, noting a few other items before replying, "Got it. Ok, let's get going." He stopped and looked back at them, "Listen, it's unlikely there are any other survivors. So whatever happens, don't panic, don't run off, stay behind me and let me handle whatever zombies we come across. Ok?"

Danny and Bryan nodded, albeit nervously. "Lead the way." The former said.

Billy opened the door and took a quick look over at the pile of eggs, making sure they hadn't hatched yet, then waved for Bryan and Danny to move.

The two did so and quickly made their way down the passage until they made it to the door.

Billy caught up and opened the door, entering the saloon first, followed by the other two.

As soon the three made it halfway down the saloon however, they were stopped in their tracks when they saw one of the light fixtures fall from the ceiling and shatter into dozens of pieces.

"What the-" Danny was silenced when they saw a giant, claw, pierce right through the metal frame of the car.

Another giant claw pierced through beside it, and then the entire ceiling came crashing down.

A giant scorpion stood before them, and let out a high-pitched howl at the three.

"W-WHAT THE FUCK! THAT'S A FUCKING SCORPION!" Danny shouted as he backed away.

Billy pulled Bryan behind him when he noticed the latter was too frozen in fear to move, "Get back!" He shouted and backed away with the two as the scorpion approached them.

"FUCK OFF!" Danny shouted, picking up a chair and throwing it at the scorpion.

The scorpion knocked the chair aside with one of its large claws though, and proceeded towards them.

"G-GET AWAY!" Bryan shouted, also picking up a chair and throwing it.

Billy aimed the hunting gun carefully and waited until the scorpion knocked the chair aside before firing the weapon.

He successfully shot it in the face, shattering the shell in the process, but the scorpion was still moving.

Acting fast, Billy fired off another shot.

Its other large claw however moved in the way, blocking the shot, much to his frustration.

"Listen, if you can distract those claws, I can get a shot in at its face!" Billy said as the three backed away some more.

Danny looked at him as if he was crazy, "Dude! Seriously?!"

"Come on man that's not funny! Look at the size of those claws!" Bryan argued.

Billy kneeled down next to the briefcase Bryan dropped to retrieve a couple of shells, "There's no time! Just distract it! And be careful!" He said as he started to reload.

"Aw fuck!" Danny cursed before putting his guitar case down, and ran over to pick up another chair. He then approached the scorpion, shouting, "Hey! Over here! Come and get me! Come on!"

Bryan copied Danny's tactic, picking up a chair and using it to shield himself from the scorpions claws as he closed in on it.

"Come on! I'm right here! Come and get me! Come and-WHOA!" Danny was left dangling in the air as the scorpion picked him up by grabbing hold of the chair with its large claw.

"BRYAN!" Danny shouted.

Bryan hesitated for a moment, then rushed in with his chair, "LET HIM GO!" He tried to use the chair as a weapon, but the scorpion quickly stopped it with its other claw.

It then swung its claw aside, throwing the chair and causing Bryan to fall over.

As it approached, Bryan panicked and quickly crawled towards the chair, reaching it before the scorpion caught up to him.

"BRYAN WATCH OUT!" Danny shouted.

The moment he turned over on his back though, he saw the scorpion approaching with its tail raised.

Bryan looked over at the chair next to his head and, with not much other option, screamed as he grabbed onto it, using every bit of strength he could to quickly bring it down in front of him, putting it between him and the scorpion.

Just in time too, as the chair barely saved him from being stabbed by the scorpions large tail, the tail itself piercing through the chair and was just inches from Bryan's face.

"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" Billy shouted as he circled around the tail, getting a clean shot in at the scorpions exposed face.

The scorpion screeched in pain and backed away, letting go of Danny's chair and dropping him onto the floor.

"Oh no you don't!" Billy quickly closed in before the scorpion could back further way, and fired his second shot right at its face before rolling away.

The shot hit, and the scorpion let out a high-pitched howl of pain, knocking Danny's chair aside, just missing Danny himself.

All three of them backed away and watched as the scorpion flailed about. It started to slow down until, eventually, it let out one final hiss at the three before falling over, finally dead.

Billy let out a sigh of relief, while Bryan and Danny were still panting heavily, mixed feelings of surprise and relief that they survived their second near-death experience.

The three of them took a moment to rest from the surprise attack, and just the surprise itself that there was such a thing as a giant scorpion.

Bryan then asked the obvious question, "How the hell did that scorpion get that b-big? That's just not possible, it just isn't."

Danny shrugged as he picked up his guitar case, "I don't know, and I don't think I want to know. I just hope that was the only one."

"How are you feeling?" Billy asked the two as he reloaded the hunting gun.

A wave of the hand, and Danny replied, "I'm better now, my heart's still beating like crazy though."

"Same here." Bryan added. "I'm just...glad we're still alive."

Billy finished reloading the gun and made his way over to the young teen, "Sorry, I know I said I'd get both of you out of here, but there was no way I could have taken that thing down by myself." Billy smiled a little, offering his hand. "Thanks, both of you. You did a good job."

Bryan looked up at him for a moment, then took his hand, letting Billy easily help him up to his feet. "I mean, we didn't do much, or anything for that matter. We just, distracted it, like you said."

Danny rolled his eyes, "Come on Bryan, just take the compliment dude."

Billy chuckled and patted Bryan on the back, "Trust me, you did more than what most people would have done."

Bryan managed half a smile and picked up the briefcase, replying, "I, guess you're right." He looked up at Billy, adding, "I think you're wrong though, that you wouldn't have been able to take that thing down by yourself. Considering how built you are, and the way you handle that gun, just the fact that you were a part of the USMC, I think you would have been fine even on your own."

Billy shrugged, "Let's hope it doesn't come to that then." He walked on towards the ladder that led down into the conductor room. "Come on, let's go, my STARS friend is probably getting impatient."

Danny and Bryan nodded, following Billy down into the conductor room.

The former soldier watched the two of them come down the ladder one at a time, making sure they were right behind him before making his way out of the room and into the cars passage.

The two young teens followed Billy closely as they carefully made their way through the passage.

When Bryan saw the two dead zombie dogs that Billy had taken out earlier, he recoiled in surprise, and ran over to them.

"Bryan! Don't run off!" Billy shouted quietly.

Bryan kneeled down next to the dead zombie dogs, eyes wide with shock as he lowered his hand to touch the rotted animals corpse. He stopped upon feeling Billy's hand on his shoulder. "Hey, what's wrong?" The former soldier asked.

Looking back down at the corpse, Bryan asked, "You said zombies, right?"

Billy nodded, "Yeah."

"...The dogs, t-them too...?" Bryan added.

Billy sighed now, slowly replying, "Yeah...them too."

Bryan sighed, head hanging as he slowly shook his head.

"Hey, are you okay?" Billy asked.

Standing up, Bryan looked up at Billy for a moment, giving him a simple, "Y-Yeah, fine..." Before walking on.

Billy watched him walk on, before turning to Danny, who said, "Animal lover. He loves dogs especially."

"Ah...yeah, makes sense." Billy replied, looking back down at the dogs.

Danny kneeled down next to them now, then waved a hand, "Jeez, that smell..."

Billy shrugged, "Sorry, I should've been more specific when I explained the zombie thing. I should've mentioned it wasn't gonna look pretty."

Danny shook his head, "No, no it's fine. Just, give me the short description of what to expect from, the 'former' passengers."

"Rotted flesh, eyeballs sticking out, bones exposed, teeth-"

"That will do!" Danny said, cutting him off.

Billy turned and walked on, Danny following right behind him. "Fuck, I can already picture it in my head..." Danny muttered to himself.

Bryan was waiting at the door to the next car, still looking shook up after seeing the zombie dogs corpses.

"Hey, you okay?" Billy asked.

"Yeah...fine." Bryan replied. He looked up at Billy, adding, "If...if there are any more dogs like that-"

Billy stopped him with a hand, and replied, "Don't worry, I'll put them out of their misery."

"T-Thanks..." Bryan said, wiping his eyes.

Billy slowly opened the door to the next car, just enough to peek through.

"What do you see?" Danny asked.

Opening the door slightly more to get a better look, Billy replied, "Just a few. Too many to just run through though since the car is so narrow."

The gap was enough for Bryan and Danny to get a look, and they instantly recoiled in shock, "Holy...shit..." Danny whispered.

Just a few was an understatement. There was around five zombies so far limping around the car, oblivious to the three at the moment.

"They're slow, we can take advantage of that." Billy said as he handed the hunting gun to Bryan and took out his handgun.

Bryan looked at the hunting gun in surprise, before saying, "I...I've never fired a gun before."

Billy checked his handgun, replying, "You don't have to, just stay close to me, watch my back and make sure nothing comes up behind us. I'll deal with the zombies. Can you do that?"

Bryan nodded, "Y-Yeah, I'll try."

"Danny, you too." Billy said.

A shrug was Danny's response, "I'll do what I can."

"Alright, on three. Ready?" Billy asked.

The two young teens exchanged nervous looks, before nodding at the former soldier.

"One...

...Two

...THREE!"

* * *

 **Authors Notes: Other than feeling satisfied that I got this chapter done quicker than probably any other chapter I've written for a story, I also recently finished Resident Evil 0. I have to say, the game actually feels shorter than I remember, but, hey, that just might mean this story will probably get done a lot sooner too. On that note, I might just start the next chapter tomorrow. At the moment I feel very motivated, so I think I should really take advantage and write as much as I can.**

 **Now you probably noticed what I did with the whole briefcase and the two ring keys thing. That's the first example of dodging the tedious puzzles I mentioned in the notes of the last chapter to save time and help the story progress a little quicker.**

 **Anyway, as always, please Review, the feedback is always appreciated.**


	4. Train Wreck

**This chapter took just about as much time as the last, which is to say, I also got this one finished quickly. When it comes to fighting the zombies or the monsters, I don't want any particular fight to overstay its welcome, so I just made sure to take a logical approach whenever I get to those parts. Just like the puzzle thing, it saves time, and it may very well help me finish this story a lot quicker, which will allow me to get to the Rewrites of the first three stories a lot sooner.**

 **Disclaimer: Resident Evil and its characters belong to Capcom obviously, any Original characters in this story belong to me.**

* * *

 ** ** ** ** ** **Chapter 4:  
 ** ** ** ** ** **  
 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **'Train Wreck'********************************************

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **Ecliptic Express********************************************

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **'Billy, Bryan, Danny'************************************************************************************************************************************

Getting through the zombies ended up being more of a difficult task than Billy originally thought.

When they went into the car, a zombie on the floor had grabbed onto his foot and caused him to fall over.

This attracted the attention of the other zombies, causing Bryan and Danny to panic and back away. But seeing Billy struggling to kick the zombie on the floor off of him, they were forced to act and quickly jumped in.

Bryan stomped on the zombies arm while Danny continuously kicked it in the head, and soon were able to get it off of Billy, giving the former soldier just enough time to get back to his feet and shoot the zombie in the head.

The three of them had to back away when the only way through the car was blocked by the other approaching zombies.

Billy wanted to try and run through without wasting too many bullets, but the distraction from the other zombie allowed the rest to crowd together and block their passage to the other car.

Knowing he didn't have much of a choice now, Billy carefully aimed his gun and shot the first zombie in the head.

Seeing the blood shoot out behind the zombies head caused Bryan and Danny to cringe and look away, obviously not used to seeing such gore up close.

Knowing the sight was too much for them, Billy had told them to cover their eyes or look away as he dealt with the other zombies, taking the second down with a headshot.

He dealt with the third and fourth zombies before they could get any closer, one shot for each, doing his best to save as many bullets as possible.

The small pile of corpses on the floor made it difficult for the last zombie to reach them, but it continued towards them anyway.

Of course this made it easier to shoot the zombie clean in the head, and Billy had no problem using up one more bullet.

Now that the zombies had been dealt with, it was a lot safer to move on. Billy walked over the corpses, making his way through the car until he was more than halfway there, then turned to the others, waving them over.

Bryan moved first, looking down at the corpses with terrified eyes as he slowly took careful steps over the corpses.

Eventually, he made it by them, quickly going to Billy's side and looking around for any other zombies.

"Ok Danny, you're up!" Billy said, waving Danny over. "Remember, watch where you're stepping."

Danny took in a few deep breaths and slowly made his way through the car.

He looked down the entire time at the corpses, and keeping an eye on his feet, making sure he would see any hands pop out of nowhere and try to grab him.

Like Bryan, he made it by them with no trouble, though he was still breathing heavily, clearly still shocked by all of the blood he saw.

Billy checked his handgun, making sure he had enough shots left to spare, then turned to the others, "Thanks for the help back there, I should have known something was gonna go wrong. Sorry you had to jump in and put yourselves at risk."

Danny shrugged, "Nah, it's fine, don't worry about it. If we don't work together, none of us will be getting out of here alive."

Bryan gave a brief glance over at the corpses, then looked away in shock, "I...still can't believe this. Z-Zombies..."

"I know, it's insane." Billy said patting the young teens shoulder, "Don't worry, I said I'd do whatever I could to get you two out of here, and I don't plan on going back on my word. Come on, let's go."

Billy moved on, the other two following right behind him.

As soon as they made it to the door, Billy slowly opened it a little, peeking through to make sure it was clear.

Of course, as expected, it wasn't clear, as there were two zombies limping around in the next car.

"How many?" Danny asked quietly.

Billy leaned in a little to get a better look, whispering back, "As far as I can see, only two. But I ain't making the same mistake twice..." He looked back at them, adding, "We go in, and I'll take them out. You two just keep an eye out for any on the floor that might move."

"Got it." Bryan said, exchanging nervous looks with Danny.

Opening the door, Billy quickly made his way into the car and aimed at the first zombie, shooting it in the head just it turned and face him.

"One down..." Billy muttered before turning his gun on the other zombie that started to approach. "Two..."

"WAIT!"

Bryan and Danny both shouted, stopping Billy from pulling the trigger as they ran in front of him.

"What is it?!" Billy asked, glaring at the two.

The two young teens looked over at the remaining zombie as it limped towards them, tears starting to fill in their eyes as Danny muttered out, "Bryan, it's-"

"I know...I-I know..." Bryan stuttered.

Both of them slowly backed away a little as they looked on at the zombie, or rather, what was once their friend, Kyle.

Billy looked back and forth between them, asking, "...That zombie, was that the friend you both mentioned earlier?"

Danny nodded, "Y-Yeah..." He looked back at the zombie, calling out, "K-Kyle...it's us, Danny and Bryan. Don't you recognize us?"

The zombie, or Kyle, didn't seem to acknowledge his words whatsoever, still limping towards them.

"Kyle it's-" Danny stopped, turning to Bryan who grabbed his arm and slowly pulled him back.

Bryan was struggling to fight back the tears in his eyes, and quietly said to Danny, "...Gone. He's gone..." He looked at Danny again, adding, "He's gone...Danny."

Danny looked back as the zombie that was once their friend slowly got closer and closer, but they would keep backing away, keeping the distance between them.

"Billy..." Danny quietly called out to Billy.

The former soldier nodded in response, "...I understand." Billy stepped forward, putting himself between the two young teens and the approaching zombie. "Look away, neither of you should have to see this." He said as he raised his handgun.

Neither Danny or Bryan looked away however.

They kept their teary eyes on Kyle the entire time, only flinching when Billy fired the gun and shot their former friend in the head.

The two young teens struggled to keep looking even as they watched their former friend fall backwards onto the floor.

Billy lowered his gun, and sighed, turning to the two with an apologetic look. "I'm sorry."

"No...it's not your fault..." Bryan quietly replied.

Putting his guitar case down, Danny slowly approached the corpse of their friend and kneeled down next to him.

While watching him, Billy patted Bryan's shoulder, trying to cheer him up a little, despite what little effect it had.

Danny took hold of the cross pendant hanging around his neck, looking at it for a long moment. He then looked down at the corpse of his friend, and gently clasped his hands together, eyes closed and head lowered as he quietly spoke.

"Lord, please answer my prayer in this tragic time, and accept the soul of our friend, Kyle Summers, to paradise beyond.

For the future that he was robbed of, for the people he always sought to help, please accept him.

Please accept him, so that may find peace, and happiness.

I ask this of you, Lord, so that he may forever, rest eternally.

As we continue enduring the evil of this tragedy, I ask this of you."

Danny opened his teary eyes and looked down at Kyle's corpse once more, gently placing his hand over his former friends eyes, closing them.

As he pulled his hand away, Danny saw something sticking out of Kyle's pocket.

It was a small leather notebook.

The same one that Kyle took everywhere with him.

Danny reached for it, taking it out of Kyle's pocket and got to his feet.

Billy called out, "Danny? You okay?"

Danny looked at him, then at Bryan, tossing him the notebook. "Yeah...yeah, I'm fine now. Let's get out of here already."

Bryan caught the notebook and took a good long look at it before putting it safely away in his pocket.

"Alright, come on." Billy said, taking the lead.

The two followed him, and with no more zombies getting in their way, they finally made it to the dining car.

Billy told the two of them to wait at the stairs, while he went into the kitchen, taking the ice pick out of his pocket.

He approached the service lift and opened it, putting the ice pick inside before sending it back up.

The former soldier came back out of the kitchen and gestured for the two young teens to follow him upstairs, which they did.

As soon as they made it up to the diner, Danny whistled, "Wow...this place is on fire, literally."

While they looked around at the damage, Billy approached the door to the pantry, calling out, "Rebecca! I sent something up in the service lift! See if you can open the door with it!"

* * *

 **Ecliptic Express**

 **'Rebecca'**

"I'll try!" Rebecca called back as she took the ice pick from the service lift.

She approached the door and grabbed the handle, using her other hand to put the ice pick into the keyhole.

It didn't take long thankfully.

The ice pick did its job after messing with it for a few seconds, and the doorknob was no longer stuck.

Rebecca let out a sigh of relief and opened the door, and found Billy waiting for her. "Took you long enough."

"Yeah well...I kinda got delayed." He replied, looking over his shoulder.

Rebecca just now noticed the other two who were standing not far away, looking back at her. "Who are...?"

Billy looked back at the two, asking, "You want me to explain for you?"

Danny then spoke up, "It's ok Billy. We'll explain it." He said as Rebecca approached them.

The STARS officer was eyeing them up and down, looking a bit surprised. "Who are you two? And what are you doing on this train?"

"My name's Daniel Bleyker Officer. But you can call me Danny." Danny replied, and then turned to Bryan, "This is..." He stopped, waiting for his friend to speak.

Bryan however was too busy just staring at Rebecca in silence, the latter also staring back at him, looking a little confused.

"Um...yes?" Rebecca eventually broke the silence that followed.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Bryan quickly replied, "Oh! I'm Bryan, uh, Bryan Hunter. Um...nice to meet you, Officer...?" He replied, holding his hand out.

Rebecca smiled, taking his hand and shaking it, "Chambers. Rebecca Chambers. Just call me Rebecca though."

It took a little longer for them to let go of each others hands than both of them would have liked, but were just relieved once they did let go.

"Um, as for my other question. What are you doing on this train? I can tell you weren't with all the other passengers that's for sure." Rebecca said, looking at Danny in particular. Or more specifically, his clothes. "And I'm sure everyone heard the news about the cannibalistic homicides in the Arklay Mountains. It's illegal to be out here. So why are you?"

Bryan looked away, "W-Well...you see..."

As soon as she saw his eyes tear up, Rebecca quickly spoke up, "No it's okay! I-I'm not going to arrest you or anything I just...you shouldn't be out here! It's not safe!" She said, trying to calm him down.

"It wasn't their fault Rebecca." Billy said, getting Rebecca's attention.

Rebecca looked over at Billy as he continued, "One of their friends was a passenger on this train moving away to a new work facility. They were just being good friends helping him move all of his things. It's not their fault that the train got attacked and left them stranded out here."

Danny shrugged, nodding a little, "That's...the simple way of putting it I suppose."

"Also..." Billy added, "Their friend ended up just like everyone else on this train. I know because we ran into him, so I'm sure I don't need to tell you what happened next."

"Oh..." Rebecca gave Danny an apologetic look, "I...I'm sorry." She then looked at Bryan and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, "I'm...so sorry for your loss..."

Bryan shook his head, wiping his eyes, "Don't be. Just..." He looked Rebecca in the eye, "Please just get us out of here. We want to go home."

Rebecca nodded, giving him a little encouraging smile, "Leave it to me. As an officer of the law, I'll make it my duty to get you back home safe and sound."

Those words managed to make Bryan smile a little, "T-Thank you, Rebecca."

Billy then spoke up, "As touching as this is, I think we should get moving." He looked at Rebecca, adding, "I have the key card for the drivers compartment, thanks to these two. We can get over there and finally stop this train."

"What do we do after we stop it?" Bryan asked.

Rebecca thought about that for a moment. "We'll have to regroup with the rest of my team, assuming they'll still be nearby, which is unlikely."

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Come on, let's go." Billy said as he took the lead.

Rebecca let out an annoyed huff and followed, "Stay close to me, if-"

"If there's any zombies, you'll deal with them, yeah don't worry. Billy already told us." Danny said.

"Right." Rebecca replied, rolling her eyes.

They moved on, catching up with Billy before making their way to the drivers compartment.

* * *

Just outside the drivers compartment, an armed soldier stood guard as spoke into his radio.

"This is Delta Team. This is Delta Team. We have gained control of the train. Over."

* * *

"Understood." A man in sunglasses and a blue STARS uniform replied, speaking into the mic next to the computers in front of him, leaning back in his chair.

Another man, a scientist, shook his head, adding, "This does not make any sense." He looked at the man in the chair, asking him, "How was the T-Virus leaked? And why did it contaminate both the lab in the mansion as well as a train almost three miles away?"

The man with sunglasses covered the mic with his hand, replying, "That's irrelevant. We must make sure no knowledge of this gets out. Destroy the train. Completely."

The scientist just stared at him, saying nothing.

"How far away are you from the nearest branch line?" The STARS officer asked, speaking into the mic.

* * *

"About ten minutes to...huh?" The soldier drifted off as he heard a sound next to him.

He turned just in time as dozens of leeches swarmed all over him.

The soldier screamed and fired his gun everywhere as he desperately attempted to get the leeches off of him.

* * *

"What happened?!" The STARS officer asked out.

* * *

Screams were the only response.

Another soldier exited the drivers compartment to find out what was going on.

Instead he too was instantly swarmed by the leeches before he could be of any help.

The gunfire stopped and the screams slowly started to die down as the soldiers fell and ceased to move.

* * *

 **Ecliptic Express**

 **'Rebecca, Billy, Bryan, Danny'**

Little to no zombies had gotten up to replace the ones that had been taken out.

Which made getting through the train that much easier for the small group.

Billy was taking the lead, since he had the hunting gun, while Rebecca was right behind him, keeping a close eye on him.

Bryan was following them closely, carrying the briefcase that held their ammo as well as a few supplies Rebecca found along the way.

Danny was holding onto his guitar really tight, as if it would disappear if he let go.

Along the way, Rebecca suggested to Billy that he give his handgun to one of them, but there was no room for argument when both of them made it clear they hadn't fired a gun before. And Rebecca wasn't going to force them.

When they finally made it to the locked door, Billy used the key card Bryan gave him and swiped it through the lock next to the door.

It worked, and the door unlocked, finally allowing them access to the drivers compartment.

Billy opened the door and exited outside, the others following right behind him.

Though it was dark outside, there was just enough light for them to make out the two dead soldiers.

"W-Who are these guys?" Bryan asked.

Billy nudged one of the dead soldiers with his foot, then replied, "I don't know, but I ain't sticking around waiting for them to get back up, come on!" He said before hurrying into the drivers compartment.

Rebecca and the others quickly followed, getting out of the rain for the moment.

It was only now that Billy realised the train was accelerating, with no one controlling it.

As he rushed over to the controls, it didn't take long to figure out they had been sabotaged.

"The train will either derail or crash!" Billy said, looking at Rebecca, "I gotta stop this thing!"

The thought of the train derailing or crashing made Danny panic for a moment, before he asked, "Do...Do you know how?"

"The brakes are the only option we have." Rebecca said as she picked up the brake instructions.

Bryan walked over, asking, "What does it say?"

Rebecca looked through the manual, reading it out loud, "The following three steps are necessary to operate the brakes:

Step one:

Activating the controls.

Brake controls are located in the following locations."

"Which are?" Danny asked.

Rebecca looked, replying, "First Car, Driver's Compartment."

"Obviously." Billy said, "Where else?"

Another look, and Rebecca added, "Rear deck of the fifth car. To activate the system, you must insert the magnetic card into the device in the fifth car. This will supply power to both sets of controls."

Danny nodded, "Ok, so just head to the very back of the train and swipe a card, sounds easy enough."

"Not really." Rebecca replied. "Step two: Enter Rear Deck Code.

Enter the code for the rear deck unit to release the lock.

After this, the Driver's Compartment code can be entered."

"Which, I'm assuming is step three." Danny replied.

Rebecca nodded, "Upon completion of these three steps, the manual brakes can be used."

"Ok, um, sounds simple enough." Bryan said.

The STARS officer turned to Billy, "I'll go over to the back deck and manipulate the control panel for the brake. You stay here and apply the brake when ready."

"Ok!" Billy replied.

Just as Rebecca was about to leave, Billy stopped her, "Rebecca!"

Rebecca turned back to him as he continued, "Don't screw up, ok?"

"I won't." Rebecca replied confidently.

Before she could leave, Bryan spoke up, "I'll go with you."

The STARS officer looked back at him, surprised, "I'm not sure that's-"

"In case something happens. You'll need someone to watch your back." Bryan said.

Rebecca looked at Billy, who simply added, "He has a point. Just be careful." He said that last part to Bryan.

Bryan nodded, and Rebecca grabbed the magnetic card before making her way to the door, "Alright, let's go!"

The young teen followed Rebecca outside, closing the door behind them.

Of course, as they should have expected, the two dead soldiers slowly started to get back to their feet, just as Rebecca and Bryan had made it halfway across the car.

"Come on!" Acting fast, Rebecca grabbed Bryan's hand and sprinted on before the zombies got up.

The STARS officer quickly opened the door and didn't bother to shut it, running on through the next car, keeping a tight grip on Bryan's hand as she pulled him along.

Bryan, thankfully, was fit enough to keep up.

Eventually they made it to the next car, and Rebecca was frustrated when she saw more zombies start to get up from the seats.

She ran on, being careful not to pull Bryan too much that he'd fall over.

One zombie had lunged out at them from behind the seats, and Rebecca was prepared to shove it aside, despite not having the physical strength like Billy to probably pull it off.

Fortunately, Bryan seemed to realise what she was going to do and, with his help, they both shoved the zombie aside with ease.

Rebecca threw a smile Bryan's way for a brief second, but was forced to run on when she saw the other zombies approaching.

This time, Rebecca and Bryan made their way into the next car and closed the door behind them to stop the walking corpses from following.

However, just as they turned to move on, Rebecca recoiled in horror when she saw another zombie up ahead.

While normally she would have fired her gun, Rebecca froze when she saw the STARS uniform the zombie was wearing.

The zombie, that was eating the remains of another passenger, looked over its shoulder at her, revealing it to be Edward, or what was left of him.

"Edward! No..." Rebecca gasped in shock.

The walking corpse of Edward got to its feet and slowly started limping towards her.

"Stop! Don't come any closer!" Rebecca said as she backed away.

Bryan looked back and forth between them as he stood behind Rebecca. He remembered exactly how he and Danny felt when they saw Kyle, and for a moment that feeling came back.

But while he could see Rebecca struggle to cope on the outside, she nonetheless forced herself into raising her gun, aiming it at Edward's head.

After a brief moment of hesitation, she pulled the trigger, and the back of Edward's exploded all over the seats.

For just a second, it was like watching Kyle fall down all over again, as the walking corpse of the STARS officer fell to the floor.

The heartbroken look on Rebecca's face said it all, and Bryan couldn't help but speak up, "I'm...sorry, that you had to..."

Rebecca stopped him with a hand, replying, "No, it's fine. He wouldn't have wanted it any other way. Come on, we need to hurry, we don't have much time." She grabbed Bryan's hand and moved on.

Bryan kept up as they made it to the dining car.

As soon as they entered the kitchen however, the refrigerator door slammed open next to them, hitting Rebecca and causing her to fall over.

Unfortunately for Bryan, he was the one currently in the sights of the zombie that emerged from it. The zombie grabbed onto him as he shouted and struggled to push it off, doing his best to keep it from biting him. "REBECCA!" He shouted the STARS officers name.

The zombie, slowly starting to overpower him, was inching its teeth closer, until Rebecca recovered back to her feet and quickly fired her gun at its head.

Bryan looked away and covered his eyes as the blood splashed over his jacket, then pushed the lifeless corpse off of him.

He looked at Rebecca for a long moment, then turned to the refrigerator, "W-What was he doing in there?"

The STARS officer shook her head, "Who knows. Either way it doesn't matter at this point. Come on, follow me."

Bryan followed her as she opened the door to the cargo compartment.

Immediately as soon as they entered, Bryan froze in his tracks when he eyed the two vicious zombie dogs currently locked in their cages.

Rebecca carefully approached the door to the outside, keeping her eyes on the zombie dogs the entire time as she walked by the cages. She looked back at Bryan, asking, "Bryan what's wrong? Come on!"

Bryan watched the zombie dogs growl and bark at them, like mindless animals. Mindless animals that looked like they were ripped apart and came back from the dead that is.

"W-We...we can't leave them like this..." He muttered.

Rebecca looked at him in confusion, "What are you talking about?"

The young teen looked over at her, repeating himself, "We can't just...leave them like this. It's not right."

She was going to respond, then stopped, giving a long look at the dogs before, somewhat understanding where he was coming from.

Bryan quickly turned away as Rebecca raised her gun on the zombie dogs, only flinching at the sound of their dying cries as the STARS officer pulled the trigger twice.

She didn't like to waste bullets, especially in this situation, and Rebecca was going to say something, but then decided against it, figuring it best to talk about it later when they weren't on a speeding train that was currently out of their control.

Bryan walked on, following Rebecca as she made her way outside.

Rebecca looked around and quickly found the locked device she was looking for. She took the magnetic card out of her pocket and swiped it, unlocking the device.

As soon as it unlocked, a few numbers lit up, displaying...

 ** _00/81_**

Rebecca recoiled, while Bryan asked, "I'm...assuming this is the code you mentioned."

"Y-Yeah...umm..." Rebecca looked at the numbered buttons and thought for a moment.

Bryan however let out a frustrated sigh, "Dammit. The one time Andrew's brain would actually save our asses and he isn't even here."

"It's alright, I'll figure it out. Just give me a moment." Rebecca replied as she started counting numbers in her head.

For a few long seconds, Bryan paced around waiting while waiting for Rebecca to figure it out, until something on the other side of the door caught his eye.

It looked like some sort of hookgun.

While Rebecca started putting in numbers, Bryan made his way over to the small lever that was connected to the locking device holding the hookgun. He pulled it down, and looked over, seeing the locking device open up.

He raised a brow, then turned to Rebecca, who seemed to have just finished putting in the right code.

"This is Rebecca! I have engaged the control device for the brake! Over!"

She turned and looked at Bryan, and noticed him holding the lever.

* * *

 **Ecliptic Express**

 **'Billy, Danny'**

"Roger! I'll put the brake on now!" Billy replied into his radio.

Before Billy could make his way to the controls, Danny called out, "Uh, Billy? We have a problem."

Looking through the window in the door, Billy could see the two dead soldiers, now zombies, approaching the door from the outside. He grabbed the door handle and held onto it just as the zombies reached and started banging on the door. "I'll hold the door! Hurry!" Billy shouted.

Danny nodded and approached the controls, "Oh great..."

The code input was the same as the one at the rear deck except this time, the glass was smashed on the left, making it impossible to see the numbers he put in.

"Billy, quick, which ten numbers make up thirty-six?!" Danny asked.

The door shook, and Billy was doing his best to keep the zombies from opening it. "Seriously?"

"Math was never one of my best subjects!" Danny replied, cursing under his breath. "The one time we could actually use Andrew's brain, and of course he isn't with us!"

Billy pressed all of his weight up against the door as he counted in his head, then shouted out the numbers, "The last number is nine! Every other number is three!"

"Got it!" Danny looked back down at the controls, pressing the buttons, "Three, three, three..." He repeated each number until he reached the last one, "Nine!"

The young teen turned back to Billy, "What now?!"

"Pull the lever!" Billy shouted, pointing to the lever.

Danny turned to where Billy was pointing and saw the lever, and wasted no time pulling it, activating the brakes.

* * *

Outside, sparks began to fly everywhere as the brakes tried to slow down the train. But it was moving too fast, and didn't look like it was going to be stopping at all.

As the train hit the turn, it threatened to tip over and almost derailed, causing those inside to fall over.

Thankfully, there wasn't enough momentum and it crashed back down onto the tracks, just in time to smash right through a wooden barrier and into a tunnel.

* * *

Inside, Danny struggled back to his feet and made his way to the controls, holding onto the lever to help keep his balance. "Billy! It isn't stopping!"

"I can see that!" Billy said as he got back to his feet. He looked outside to see the zombies had fallen over, and were no longer an issue for now. He ran over to the controls and looked out the window.

It was too dark to see anything up ahead, just the tunnel the train continued to speed down.

But eventually, the two were briefly able to make out something ahead.

Danny's eyes widened when he realised what it was, "God help u-"

The train ended up smashing though a barricade, causing it to jump the tracks.

It began tipping over mid-air and eventually landed on its side, but the speed the train was going at caused it to slide deeper into the tunnel, knocking down anything and everything that stood in its way.

Soon enough though, the train finally grinded to a halt.

The only question now was...

Where did it stop?

* * *

 **Authors Notes: And I think that about wraps up the train part of the story. Now yeah, you're very likely thinking that four chapters is too short for the train part especially since I skipped a couple of puzzles but, let's be real, it's a train, there's only so much people can do on a train, so I personally think that four chapters covering the train was actually enough. I MIGHT consider an equal number of chapters or near enough an equal number to cover the Training Facility, the Laboratory and the Treatment Plant, though again, like I've said before, it all depends on how much I write in each chapter.**

 **On that note, I think I might be able to take an accurate guess as to how many chapters this story will have now. I'll take a guess and say this story will finish at Fifteen Chapters. And, if I can write them and finish them as fast as I am right now, I should be able to get around to the Rewrites of the Raccoon City Trilogy in no time.**

 **Anyway, as usual, please Review, the feedback is what helps me keep going.**


	5. Research Center

**I literally started this chapter not long after finishing the last because I was in the writing mood, and when you're in the writing mood, it is highly recommended that you write as much as you can. Because I know what it's like to want to write a story but not be in the mood or have the motivation for it, just look at CODE: Veronica X. I started that story back in 2013, finished it in 2018. Though I suppose the one good thing that came out of that long wait was that I came back with better writing skills, and more patience. And, Resident Evil is hot again thanks to the seventh game and the reveal of the Resident Evil 2 Remake.**

 **Also, I've been thinking about doing another story, not really a full story, but just a series of short One-shots with each chapter solely focusing on each member of the main OC group, just detailing their lives before the Raccoon City Incident. Of course, I also intend to give certain OC's that were submitted to my stories a chapter of their own. I just recently put up a new Poll on my profile, if you want to see what the characters were like before the Raccoon City Incident, go and vote, I'll be taking it down after about ten votes maybe.**

 **Disclaimer: Resident Evil and its characters belong to Capcom obviously, any Original characters in this story belong to me.**

* * *

 ** ** ** ** ** **Chapter 5:  
 ** ** ** ** ** **  
 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **'Research Center'********************************************

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **Ecliptic Express Wreckage********************************************

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **'Billy, Danny'********************************************

Billy just started to regain consciousness after being knocked out by the crash.

He could see where he was fortunately, thanks to the flames in the burning wreckage of the train lighting the tunnel up a bit.

The groan beside him dragged his attention down towards Danny, who was also now just starting to regain consciousness. "Ugh...my head is killing me..." He muttered as he struggled to get up.

A chuckle, and Billy kneeled down to help the young teen to his feet, "Well, I think that's to be expected when you stick around inside a crashing train." He said offering Danny a hand.

Danny took his hand and groaned in pain as the former soldier pulled him to his feet. "Ow...that hurts..." He hissed in pain as he leaned down to pick up his guitar case, opening it to make sure the guitar was still intact, "Oh thank god."

"What is it?" Billy asked.

Closing the case, Danny replied, "It isn't damaged."

Billy just raised a brow at him, tempted to reply but decided to focus on more important matters. Looking around, he called out, "Rebecca! Bryan!"

Silence followed for a moment.

And just as Billy was about to call out again, the STARS officer emerged from behind the train. "I'm here." She was clutching her arm, but otherwise looked okay.

Billy turned to Rebecca, adding, "Are you alright? Hey, we managed to stop the train."

"Yes. We managed." Rebecca said, looking at the burning wreckage.

The former soldier turned back to her, "We have to find a way out." He looked around, then asked, "Where's Bryan?"

"Right here..." Bryan said as he limped towards them from behind the train, earning a concerned look from the former soldier.

"What happened? Are you okay?" Billy asked.

Bryan replied as he rubbed his knee. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine, just banged my knee." He then showed the hookgun to Billy and Danny, "Look what we found."

Danny gave him a thumbs up, "Sweet. That's some secret agent stuff right there."

The sound of zombies moaning caught their attention, and the group turned just in time to see several zombies emerging from the burning wreckage of the train. Some of them were on fire, but they weren't fazed even in the slightest, instead they continued to limp towards the survivors with the intent to eat and kill.

"We better get going." Billy said as he backed away.

Bryan turned to move but his knee gave out under him and caused him to fall over with a cry.

"Shit!" Danny rushed over to help his friend up, but he struggled, and as the zombies started to get closer, he panicked.

"I-I think my knee might have taken a little more damage than I thought." Bryan said as he hissed in pain when he tried to move his leg.

Rebecca, after trying to help, turned to Billy for assistance, and the latter rushed over and picked Bryan up with ease, carrying him on his back. "I got him, you get the ammo!" He said to Danny.

Danny nodded and grabbed the briefcase, following Billy towards the door just up ahead. Rebecca was right behind them, keeping her handgun ready and her sights on the zombies the entire time.

"Danny open the door!" Billy said, unable to open the door as his hands were busy holding Bryan on his back.

The young teen opened the door and waved Billy inside. "Rebecca! Come on!" He called out.

Rebecca turned and ran towards the door, making her way inside next.

Danny entered right after her and slammed the door shut behind him.

"That was a close one..." Danny said, before waving his hand in front of his nose, "What...the fuck, is that smell?"

Rebecca covered her nose, replying, "Sewer."

Indeed, just looking around and seeing Billy standing in the dirty water, Danny quickly nodded. "Yeah...sewer."

Bryan covered his nose with a hand, replying, "Can we just get moving? This smell is gonna kill me."

"Just be glad you're not the one in this disgusting water." Billy replied with a roll of his eyes before making his way through the sewer.

Rebecca shook at the thought of stepping into sewer water. After hesitating for a few seconds, she eventually jumped in, carefully, making sure she didn't cause a big splash that would have gotten it all over her.

Danny did the same thing, and though he had to cover his nose, he couldn't help but grin a little, holding back a chuckle when he heard Rebecca continuously mutter about how gross it was.

Thankfully, the sewer wasn't long, and the group eventually reached a ladder.

Billy helped Bryan up to the ladder, asking, "Can you manage up there?"

Bryan nodded, "Y-Yeah, I can manage."

"You should probably let me take the lead, just to be on the safe side." Billy suggested.

The young teen nodded again, and stood next to the ladder, holding onto it for support as Billy started to climb up it.

Bryan then started to climb up, followed by Danny, with Rebecca climbing up last.

Billy reached the top and pushed the panel open, climbing up and into a large hall.

When Bryan reached the top, Billy leaned down and pulled him up, helping the young teen over to one of the chairs next to the opening. Once Bryan sat down, Billy made his way back over to the opening they were climbing up from, taking the briefcase when Danny passed it up to him.

Danny then climbed up and sat down on the floor, followed by Rebecca, who looked around the hall, curious as to they where they were.

Billy walked over to the middle of the hall and looked down at the carpet, eyeing a particular logo. "The Umbrella Research Center?"

Rebecca said nothing, too fixated on a large painting at the top of the main stairs. When she got close enough, she was able to identify the old man in the painting, and images flashed through her mind of the very same old man back on the train.

"The first general manager, Doctor James Marcus." Billy said as he approached the painting.

* * *

Unknown to the four survivors, they were currently being watched.

"Who on earth are those people?" The scientist asked in surprise.

The STARS officer next to him calmly replied, "She's just a rookie. A member of STARS."

A glance at him, and the scientist asked, "Hmm, what about the male and the two teens?"

"I am unfamiliar with them." The STARS officer said.

Before the conversation could continue any further, a voice exploded from the speakers in the hall.

"Attention. This is Dr. Marcus. Please be silent as we reflect upon our company motto! Obedience breeds Discipline. Discipline breeds Unity. Unity breeds Power! Power is Life."

The screen of the monitor showing the survivors in front of the two started to scramble up. And then, the picture changed, showing the same cloaked young man from the train.

"Who are you?" The STARS officer asked.

The young man on the screen looked directly at them, replying, "It was I who scattered the T-Virus in the mansion. Needless to say, I contaminated the train, too."

"What?" The scientist said, looking surprised.

"Revenge..." The young man added, "On Umbrella!"

Suddenly, the young man raised his arms and started to sing.

And as he sang, the leeches began to form a mass in front of him, as if responding to his call.

The mass of leeches began to take shape, and eventually took form of the same old man from the train.

"Dr. Marcus?" The scientist said, confused by what he was seeing.

The cloaked young man smirked and looked back at them, "Ten year ago, Dr. Marcus was murdered by Umbrella. You helped them, didn't you?" The smirk on his face dropped at those last few words.

The STARS officer scowled in response, but said nothing.

Both of them just stared on at the monitor as the young man laughed.

* * *

 **Training Facility**

 **'Rebecca, Billy, Bryan, Danny'**

Now that they had time to rest and catch their breaths, the first thing Rebecca focused on was tending to any injuries.

In Bryan's case, she was busy trying to patch his knee up.

The young teen let out a pained hiss when Rebecca touched his knee, earning a concerned look from the STARS officer. "That bad huh?"

Bryan nodded, "Y-Yeah."

Indeed, after Bryan rolled up the leg of his cargo pants, Rebecca almost gasped at the large bruise nearly covering his entire knee.

Rebecca put her medical kit down in front of her and started digging through it, while Bryan asked, "Can you do anything? Please tell me you can fix it."

"I'll do my best. The good thing is that nothing's shattered, the only reason it hurts so much right now is because the damage is still fresh." Rebecca explained as she carefully applied a gel, circling her finger to spread it across the knee. When she was done, she started wrapping a bandage around his knee, adding, "The best thing to do right now is to let your leg rest. If you stay off it for a bit, you should be able to walk without it acting up as much."

Bryan just stared at her, "So...basically just sit for a while, and most of the pain should go away eventually."

Rebecca shrugged, "That's...one way of putting it."

Billy, who was watching in silence the entire time, finally spoke up, "That's fine and all, but we can't stay here forever. As soon as Bryan can walk without his knee slowing him down, we should get out of here."

Danny put his guitar case down and went to sit on the floor, "A bed would be nice right now."

"No kidding." Bryan said, trying to hold back a pained hiss as Rebecca helped him lift his leg up onto a chair she moved in front of him. "I'm sorry. You're out here on a mission and we're just slowing you down, being nothing but a burden."

Rebecca looked at him in surprise, then shook her head, "Of course not! It's my job to protect and serve. That's what I'm doing right now."

Danny sat up, giving her a curious look, "Speaking of which, what was your mission Rebecca? You said it had to do with those homicides in the news?"

"Yeah. Me and my team came all the way out here to investigate, but our helicopter malfunctioned due to engine failure and we were forced to make an emergency landing." Rebecca replied.

A nod was Danny's response, "Ok, makes sense. So how did you end up on the train?"

Rebecca looked over at Billy, "Not long after we landed, we discovered the truck Billy was being transported in, only, he wasn't there, and the soldiers inside were dead. So we started our search for him." She looked back at Danny and Bryan, adding, "I eventually found the train, and decided to investigate it. Though part of me kind of wishes I hadn't."

"I don't blame you." Bryan said.

Danny looked over at Billy and asked, "Now that she mentioned it, what is your crime Billy?"

Billy just looked at them, silent.

"He killed twenty-three people." Rebecca said as she frowned slightly at Billy.

Bryan recoiled in shock, and looked over at Billy with a questioning stare, "Billy...is that true? Did...did you really kill that many people?"

Again, the former soldier chose silence as his answer.

Danny eyed the broken handcuffs around Billy's wrist, and asked, "What about the soldiers? Did you...kill them too?"

Billy shrugged and waved his hand, "I'm not in the mood to talk about it, so just drop it." He said before making his way upstairs seemingly to just get away from them.

Bryan called out after him, "Billy we didn't mean..." He stopped though when the former soldier was already out of sight. Bryan just sighed before looking back at the STARS medic, "Rebecca, I'm not so sure."

Rebecca looked at him, confused, "Not so sure about what?"

"I mean, I think there's more to it." Bryan replied, adding, "If I'm being completely honest, I...I don't think Billy is the type of guy that would do such a thing."

Before Rebecca could respond, Danny spoke up next, "He has a point Rebecca. Ever since he found us, Billy has saved our asses every time we were in trouble, and though he might look like he's capable of killing so many people, that doesn't mean he actually did. He just, doesn't seem like that kind of guy."

"I have the report of the court order though! He wouldn't even be here right now if he was innocent!" Rebecca said. "And he could run off at any given time when we least expect it just to continue avoiding arrest!"

Bryan shook his head, "Rebecca...if Billy wanted to run, he would have done so a while ago."

Rebecca looked back at him, "What do you mean?"

"When you were locked inside the pantry back on the train. Remember?" Bryan replied, "If Billy wanted to run, he could have ran and just left you there, but he didn't. He came back, and he got you out. And he said he would watch out for us and he's been doing exactly that since he found us." He looked up at the STARS medic, adding, "Doesn't that...make you question it even just a little?"

Rebecca sighed, and thought about it for a moment. "I...suppose he doesn't currently match how the report describes him."

"Lemme see that report." Danny said.

The STARS officer pulled out the rolled up file from her pocket and handed it to him.

Danny opened it up and read through it. When he was done, he tossed it aside, "Yeah, that's a lot of bullshit. And if you ask me, execution is way too extreme, and obviously just unnecessary."

Rebecca shrugged, "I don't know what else to say..."

"Just give him a chance. And, maybe, when he's ready, you can ask about it, right?" Bryan said.

A nod was the only response Rebecca could give, "I suppose, not that there's really any other option."

She sat down on the other chair next to Bryan, and asked them, "So...um, is there anything both of you can tell me about yourselves? Are you in college? Do you work?"

"We work. Well, kind of work." Danny said. "We're hoping to actually start our band soon, that's our long term thing. For now, I just work a temporary job at a guitar shop."

Rebecca looked at him, replying, "That would explain your clothes."

"Hey, if I'm gonna be a Rockstar, I gotta look the part." Danny grinned.

The STARS medic turned to Bryan, "What about you?"

Bryan shrugged, "I play the drums. I'm not really that good with a guitar, but the drums I can do. As for my current job, I..."

When he went silent, Rebecca leaned in, adding, "Yes?"

Bryan rubbed the back of his neck, replying, "I...pet sit."

"You look after other peoples pets?" Rebecca asked.

A nod, and Bryan added, "I love animals, especially dogs. If I ever have a chance to look after any, I always take it. I know it's not a really big or impressive job like working guitars or being a police officer, and I know I don't make much money out of it, but I love it. Just seeing dogs so happy when they're treated with care, makes me happy." He looked at Rebecca, embarrassed now, "I know, you're disappointed my job wasn't something cooler."

"N-No! Of course not! I think it's a great job, even better since it's a job you love." Rebecca said with a comforting smile.

Bryan smiled a little back, "Thanks."

Danny rolled his eyes, then asked, "Hey Rebecca, how old are you?"

Rebecca looked at him, surprised at the unexpected question, "Um, I'm eighteen years old. Why?"

"Oh just asking. So you're the same age as us then, I was kinda expecting you to be like, twenty or something." Danny said.

The STARS medic looked surprised, "You're both only eighteen?"

Danny nodded, "Yeah...what age did you think we were?"

Rebecca thought for a moment as she looked back and forth between them, "Well, I expected you to be at least over twenty, I mean, I'm not saying you don't look your age, you do, it's just, I was expecting you to be just a little bit older. As for Bryan, well, he looks his age, I'd almost think he was a little younger if I didn't know he was eighteen."

"Wow, I...don't know how I should feel about that actually." Bryan said.

Rebecca smiled at him, "I didn't mean anything bad by it. While we're on the topic of getting to know each other a little better, where exactly do you two live? Won't your parents be worried about you?"

Danny almost failed to hold back his laughter, earning a curious look from Rebecca, "What? What did I say?"

"Nothing, nothing." Danny said, chuckling to himself. "Um, our parents, Rebecca, are all the way overseas in the United Kingdom."

Rebecca recoiled in shock, "What? So who do you stay with?"

"Our friends." Bryan said, adding, "From school. We've all known each other since we were kids, and when two of them ended up moving to a house in Raccoon City, we all decided to move with them, we had to move out of our parents houses eventually anyway. One of them was going to start teaching at a, bare-knuckle boxing school, the other one was a prodigy who got into Raccoon University."

Danny nodded, and spoke up next, "Another one of our friends took part in football, and he got super popular around the place because he was so good at it. He then decided to try boxing, that didn't go as good as he hoped, so he dropped out. He decided to give Rap a shot, and holy fuck he was so good at it I nearly got on my knees and begged him to Rap for our band. But I didn't need to, because he ended up helping us form our band anyway. He works at the guitar shop with me right now."

"I...see. Well, you're certainly passionate about music, I can tell." Rebecca said, eyeing Danny's guitar case.

Danny chuckled, "Yep, you can say that again. In fact, now that we have this chance to rest, want me to play you a song? Me and Bryan can sing while I'm playing."

"T-That won't be necessary!" Rebecca quickly replied, much to Danny's disappointment. "Anyway, um, tell me more, if you don't mind."

"About music?" Danny replied.

Rebecca facepalmed, adding, "About your families."

Danny shrugged, "Not much to say about our parents really. My mom and dad are just common people like everyone else. Although I will say it's thanks to them that I got into music in the first place."

The STARS medic turned to Bryan, "What about your parents?"

"My parents are really no different than everyone else either. I, suppose my dad has quite the temper on him but that's about it." Bryan replied.

Danny laughed, "If you wanna talk about family though, I got plenty to say about our buddies back in Raccoon City. I could write a book about all of the insane stuff all of us have went through. In fact, one of them used to be in the USMC just like Billy, he wasn't in long though unfortunately. He never told us what happened, and we don't bother asking."

Rebecca looked at him with a curious stare, "Ok, so you both stay with all of your friends?"

Danny nodded, "That's right. Me and Bryan stay with all five of them. Don't get me wrong, they aren't the only ones, we do have a few other friends we've known since we were kids. But they rarely have time to hangout and when they do, they mostly just drag two of our buddies away for a night out."

"Right. So, won't your friends be worried about you?" Rebecca asked.

Again, Danny nodded, "Oh you bet they will. Heck, I bet anything when they wake up in the morning and find out me and Bryan aren't back like we were supposed to be, they'll end up coming out looking for us."

"If your friends are the type of people that read the newspaper, they'll have seen the news about all of the murders in the Arklay Mountains. They would get arrested if they came out here. If they got caught that is." Rebecca said.

Danny stared at her for a moment, before replying, "You haven't arrested us."

Rebecca shook her head, "That's different! The circumstances are, complicated. Besides, you already explained your reasons for being out here, and they're completely justified."

"Glad to hear it." Danny said with a chuckle.

The two looked over at Bryan, and noticed the mournful expression on his face. Danny's expression died down too, and he asked, "You're thinking about Kyle, aren't you?"

Bryan nodded, "...I still can't believe he's dead." He looked over at Danny, asking, "What are the others gonna think?"

"They're gonna think that coming out here with him was a mistake. And they're gonna be just as heartbroken as we are when they find out what happened to him." Danny said with a frown.

Bryan was silent for a moment, deep in thought. A minute later, he turned to Rebecca, asking, "Those killer leeches were responsible for everything on that train. Rebecca, do you have any idea where they came from?"

"No, I wish I did but, I don't." Rebecca replied, before realising something. "The man on the hill!"

Danny raised a brow at her, "That the name of a book?"

Rebecca shook her head, standing up from the chair as she explained, "No I mean, there was a man in a cloak standing on the hill! It was just before the train started back up!"

Bryan and Danny exchanged long glances, before the latter asked, "And? What does that have to do with anything? Another survivor or something?"

"Back in the dining car a while ago, I was attacked by the leeches and they joined together and took the shape of an old man. The old man in that painting to be exact." Rebecca explained.

Danny looked over at the painting, "What? James Marcus?"

Rebecca nodded, "Yes! After Billy fought the leeches off, we saw a cloaked man standing on the hill just outside the train. It was dark, but we did see all of the leeches gathering around him, as if...as if he was controlling them."

"Hold on a second!" Danny interrupted. "So, you're saying that there's some creepy guy in a cloak walking about, with the ability to control killer leeches that, somehow, turn people into zombies?"

The STARS medic shrugged, "Well, it does sound far-fetched but, yeah."

Danny stared at her for a long moment, and then lay back on the floor, staring at the ceiling as he replied, "Ok...I'll take it."

Bryan balled his hand up into a fist as he quietly spoke up, "If someone is responsible for all of this, he will pay."

His words earned a surprised look from Rebecca, while Danny just looked over slightly at him for a second before leaning his head back as he closed his eyes, trying to take a nap on the floor.

"I'll...go and see how Billy's doing." Rebecca said before making her way upstairs, finding Billy standing on the balcony just above where they were sitting. "Hey..."

Billy looked over at her, waving a hand as he leaned against the railing, "Hey."

Rebecca approached him and leaned on the railing next to him, "So...I guess you heard us all talking huh?"

"Maybe. Maybe not." Billy replied with half a smirk.

Rolling her eyes at his response, Rebecca added, "So...what do you think?"

"About which one of them is your type?" Billy asked, still smirking.

Rebecca recoiled in surprise, and then frowned at him, "O-Of course not! I meant, what do you think about my assumption? That those leeches are being controlled by that man on the hill?"

Billy shrugged. "It does sound crazy, but it's also the best assumption we can really make right now. After all, when you consider the fact that the leeches didn't attack him, it really isn't as far-fetched as you might think."

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see." Rebecca said.

Billy nodded, "If we run into that guy again, and he does turn out to be the one responsible, what will you do?"

Rebecca was about to answer, then stopped, thinking for a moment before replying, "I...don't know. I'm hoping he'll listen to reason but..."

"But we both know there's a very low chance of that happening." Billy finished for her.

The STARS medic nodded, "I'm afraid that might be the case."

"Yeah well don't worry about it. If the time comes to make hard decisions, I'll take care of it." Billy said.

She was quiet for a moment, before replying, "I...wanted to thank you."

The former soldier looked at her, "What for?"

"For coming back and getting me out of that pantry." Rebecca said. "For protecting the two of them. If I'm, being honest, if you weren't here to help, I don't think either of them, or me for that matter, would have made it out of that train alive."

Billy just looked away, shrugging, "I do what I can."

Rebecca smiled at him, "I'm grateful, that you're here with us right now."

Billy managed to smile back at her a bit, "I was a soldier, protecting the weak and the innocent is what I do."

A nod, and Rebecca looked down at the two survivors below, her smile slowly being replaced by a mixed look of doubt and concern.

"Yeah...it is."

* * *

 **Authors Notes: While I could have started having the team work their way through the facility, I felt that it was really too early for that especially since they just barely survived a crashing train full of zombies and monsters. So I figured, maybe this chapter could just serve as a moment of rest and relaxation for the group. And doing so also allowed for some character interactions in the process, so that helps.**

 **I know I may sound like a broken record at this point saying this but I'm not going to waste lots of time with the characters running around back and forth and backtracking because of puzzles. I'm only going to include certain puzzles that they will be able to get through without much trouble so they can progress to their goal much quicker. The same applies for most of the boss fights, like I did with the Stinger, because I don't want it to drag on, and so far I've been able to get chapters done quickly thanks to this approach.**

 **On that note, because I've had quite a good few people asking me about it, yes I do plan on writing stories on the animated movies, Degeneration, Damnation and Vendetta. That won't start until after Enduring the Evil 4 though, besides that's too far ahead to think about right now, I need to focus on this story and Rewriting the first three stories.**

 **Anyway, as usual, please Review, the feedback is always appreciated.**


	6. Locked Doors

**Started this chapter sooner than I thought I would, I ain't gonna complain of course, I actually want to finish this story as soon as possible, and if fifteen chapters is the target, that leaves nine. Again, it depends on how much I write in each chapter. If I keep writing as much as I am right now, then it's possible. Also, I'm aware the Research Center is called the Training Facility but I just wanted to use the former because I thought it sounded better with the whole, scientists doing secret experiments and whatnot.**

 **I'll also say once more, that I'm gonna skip most puzzles that aren't necessary so the story can progress much quicker without it getting boring and frustrating, I've read stories like that and they're not a fun read.**

 **Disclaimer: Resident Evil and its characters belong to Capcom obviously, any Original characters in this story belong to me.**

* * *

 ** ** ** ** ** **Chapter 6:  
 ** ** ** ** ** **  
 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **'Locked Doors'********************************************

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **Umbrella Research Center********************************************

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **'Rebecca, Billy, Bryan, Danny'********************************************

Now that they were no longer on a speeding train that was at risk of crashing, the four survivors took the opportunity to rest as much as they could, knowing that they would need to be as ready as possible for whatever else they were going to run into.

Of the four of them, Bryan needed to rest until his knee had recovered enough that he could walk without it slowing him down.

However, rather than wait, Billy decided to check things out, thinking that finding an exit they could use later would be of some use. Rebecca wasn't against the idea, but protested when Danny volunteered to help out.

"Don't worry, Billy did say he was just going to go and check things out right? So all we're gonna do is look around, see what we can find, like an exit, and then we'll come back here. Hopefully Bryan will be able to walk by then." Danny explained.

Rebecca just let out a frustrated sigh and looked over at Billy, asking, "And you're okay with this?"

Billy shrugged, "I'll keep an eye on him, don't worry."

The STARS officer didn't have much of a choice and just relented. "Fine, but if you run into any trouble, you come back here immediately. Got it?"

Danny nodded, "Yeah whatever. Look after my guitar will you?" Danny said as he put the guitar case down the floor before following Billy upstairs.

"Be careful! And call me on the radio if you find anything!" Rebecca shouted, hoping the two heard her before they entered one of the rooms upstairs.

Bryan watched and waited until Rebecca sat down before asking, "Are you okay?"

Rebecca nodded, "Yes, I'm just...stressed out right now. Between trying to protect two unarmed civilians while making sure a fugitive doesn't get away, and trying to survive zombies and monsters at the same time...I...ugh." Rebecca groaned, facepalming.

"I don't blame you. Any police officer would get stressed out under these kind of circumstances." Bryan replied.

The STARS medic nodded, "You can say that again."

Bryan then offered her a comforting smile, "Hey, you've done a great job so far though, haven't you? In fact, you've done better than what most police officers could probably do. That's why you're in STARS, right?"

Rebecca managed to smile a little at that, replying, "I appreciate the compliment, but really, I think I've just gotten lucky so far. There's no telling what else we're going to run into around here, but I know if I make one mistake, just one tiny little mistake..."

"We won't let you." Bryan interrupted. "That's why we're working together, right? To back each other up, to make sure neither of us make a mistake that could cost us our lives." He looked back at her, adding, "I think you're not giving yourself enough credit. Me and Danny are still alive, and it's thanks to you."

Rebecca shook her head, "Thanks to Billy you mean."

Bryan shrugged, "Ok yeah, but that doesn't mean you haven't done anything. I know I'm not much help right now, but I'm gonna try and do whatever I can to help as soon as I'm back on my feet."

"It's my job to make sure you don't have to do that Bryan. I can't ask you to put your life at risk." Rebecca replied.

The young teen shook his head, "I know that, but I also know you and Billy can't focus on protecting us while trying to do everything else at the same time, like fighting off monsters."

Just then, a thought occurred to him, "Hey, um, I do have an idea, if you're okay with it that is."

The STARS medic gave him a curious look, "What is it?"

"Do you think you could, maybe, show me how to use a gun?" Bryan asked.

Rebecca was about to protest, but stopped. She thought about it for a moment, and considered everything else he just said, and she had to admit he had a point.

She won't be able to handle everything, and neither can Billy, and if Bryan and Danny can at least defend themselves, knowing how to use a gun would be a big help and somewhat increase their chances of survival.

Taking her handgun out, Rebecca checked how many bullets were inside before showing it to Bryan, "You can start by learning how to use this."

Bryan nodded, "Ok, a handgun, those are pretty simple and straightforward I'd imagine. So, where do we start? Pulling the trigger?"

"We'll start with how many bullets are inside." Rebecca replied. "Because if you find yourself facing down a zombie and try to shoot it, only to find there are no bullets, well, I'm sure I don't need to explain the rest."

The young teen started to look nervous now, "Y-Yeah...I guess you have a point."

Rebecca tilted her head at him, adding, "It will be really helpful to know how to reload, and how to do it as quickly as you can. The faster you can ready a new magazine, the better your chances will be." She smiled a little, "Still want to know how to use one?"

"Don't leave anything out." Was all Bryan said.

* * *

 **Umbrella Research Center**

 **'Billy, Danny'**

A lecture room was the first room Billy and Danny found themselves exploring, and despite their best efforts looking for anything of importance, they ultimately kept coming back to the lectern at the end in the center overlooking the rest of the room.

There was clearly something important on the small computer, but without an MO Disk, they couldn't access it.

While giving the room one last search, Billy looked over and caught Danny messing around with a typewriter in the corner. He had to ask, "What are you doing?"

Danny stopped typing and looked back at him, replying, "Oh! Well I just figured it would be a good idea to save a record of everything we're doing, everything that's happened, since getting on the train to it getting attacked and then crashing, and then ending up in an Umbrella Research place."

Billy just stared at him for a moment, "...I don't think that's going to be of much use Danny."

The young rock star stopped typing and sighed, "I know. Too bad saving is only a thing in video games."

"This isn't a video game though, keep that in mind." Billy said as he looked around some more. "This is real, and you only have one life, so you can't be reckless."

Danny looked over at him again, asking, "Did you ever play video games Billy?"

Billy raised a brow at his question, "Do you really think this is the time to be asking questions like that?"

"Well, so far we haven't ran into anything, why not?" Danny asked.

A sigh, and Billy said, "Yeah, I played video games, not as much as you probably do though."

"Did." Danny corrected him. "Not as much as I did. Ever since we started up our band, I just don't have time to do that anymore. So I just let Bryan or one of the others play them while I watch. You know, sometimes, it feels like watching your friends play video games is a lot more fun than playing them yourself."

Billy nodded, "Yeah, sure."

While looking around the desks, a piece of paper caught Danny's eye. "What do we have here." He picked it up, looking at it for a moment before calling over Billy, "Hey Billy, check this out." He said as he started to read the paper out loud.

 _ **'Regulations for Trainees and Training Facility Mission.**_

 _ **This training facility will raise a new generation of model employees to serve the future of Umbrella Corp.**_

 _ **Applying the strictest and most rigorous training standards, this facility will, without regard for gender, race, or creed, produce only the best candidates to be the future global leaders of Umbrella Corporation.**_

 _ **We look forward to the development of your leadership qualities.**_

 _ **Training Facility Guidelines.**_

 _ **Discipline. Obedience. Unity.**_

 _ **These three words are the basic principles which govern Umbrella Corporation employees, and are to be considered the law of this facility.**_

 _ **Keep these words in mind at all times. Devote yourselves to your training, and bring honour to yourselves and the corporation.**_

 _ **James Marcus, Director.**_

 _ **Umbrella Corporation Management Training Facility.'**_

Danny just stared at the paper for a long moment, then looked up at Billy, "Wow, this place sounds like a fucking prison."

"Or worse." Billy said. "If that's even possible."

The young teen started to look nervous, "I'm...starting to hate this place already Billy, we should probably move, and find an exit as soon as possible."

Billy chuckled, "Don't have to tell me that. Come on, let's check one of these rooms."

When they made it to the door in the corner of the room, Billy kept his handgun raised while using his other hand to open the door.

Nothing so far.

They entered the corridor, and slowly made their way to the corner.

Billy barely made it before a zombie lunged at him from around the corner, pushing him up against the wall as it tried to bite his neck.

Danny quickly jumped in to help, using the knife Billy gave him and, hesitated.

"Danny!" Billy shouted as he tried to keep the zombie from biting him.

The young teen quickly broke out of his hesitation though and grit his teeth as he stabbed the knife right into the back of the zombies head.

It ceased to move, and Billy was able to push it off him. He looked at Danny for a moment before reaching down for the knife, pulling it out and wiping the blood off of it, and handing it back to Danny. "Look, don't hesitate. If you do, that's when you've lost."

Danny took the knife and shook his head, looking a bit, shaken. "S-Sorry it's just...oh man, I've never used a knife to kill someone. I mean, I could never use a knife to kill someone and...well, you know."

"I get it. You don't know what it feels like to stab someone with a knife, or shoot them with a gun. This is as close as you'll get to it, except they're already dead. Keep that in mind next time if I get caught off guard again." Billy explained. He looked down the corridor and saw another zombie limping towards them.

The former soldier aimed carefully and shot it in the head. When it fell, Billy turned and asked, "How did you know to stab it in the head?"

Danny shrugged, "I just watched you man. When we were going through the train earlier, I noticed that you kept shooting the zombies in the head, and I also noticed that shooting them in the head put them down permanently. So from that, I assumed that destroying the brain, if there even is anything left of it, was the only way to take it down."

Billy nodded, looking back down at the zombie Danny stabbed, replying, "Good. That means you're learning quick, and that's just what we need. As long as you know how to take them out efficiently, that's all that matters, come on." He said leading the way down the corridor.

Checking out the double doors along the way, Danny said, "Let's check in here. Usually double doors is a good sign."

"Since when?" Billy asked as he carefully opened the door.

Danny opened the other door, holding the knife tightly in his hand as he replied, "Well I picture double doors in my head as an entrance, and an exit. So that way-"

Billy interrupted him. "You think it'll bring some form of good luck that we'll get an exit and allow us to get out of here."

"Pretty much." Danny said.

The former soldier just rolled his eyes with an amused smirk as they entered the main library.

When he saw a map of the facility on the desk opposite the doors, Danny approached it, taking a good look. "Perfect. This map will help us get around the place a lot quicker, it might even save us from having to do some really stupid stuff."

"Define stupid stuff Danny." Billy asked as he searched the library.

Danny thought for a moment, then replied, "I dunno, maybe something like having to find pieces of a statue that opens a secret passageway? Or, find two keys that are required to open a single door?"

Billy turned and stared at him. Danny raised his hands, adding, "Puzzles in video games do it all the time."

The former soldier got back to searching the library, while Danny started doing some searching of his own.

It didn't take long before Billy's search led him to the locked door next to the main desk.

When Danny approached, he looked at the door for a second, then turned to Billy, "So, any idea where the key might be?" He asked, showing the map in his hands.

Billy looked at the door for a moment, then turned to the painting next to it. A long moment of silence went by as he looked back and forth, before eventually speaking up, "The key might be closer than we think."

Danny looked at him, confused, and asked, "Why is that? Did you think of something?"

Billy pointed to the painting. "Look at the painting, do you notice anything?"

"Hmm, well, there's an old man it, and it says 'This light will guide you to a greater truth.' And the candle in the painting looks, exactly the same as the one next to the door here." Danny replied.

The former soldier nodded, "Exactly." He looked at the burnt out candle next to the door, adding, "I'm gonna take a wild guess that the candle is the key."

Danny facepalmed, letting out a frustrated groan. "What's wrong?" Billy asked.

"This right here, is what I meant by stupid stuff. Ugh, whatever, do you have a lighter?" Danny asked.

Billy nodded. "Yeah, I've got one here." He said, taking the lighter out of his pocket. When he tried, and failed, to light the candle, he quietly muttered, "...Shit."

The young rock star just stared at him with a neutral expression, quietly asking him, "It's empty...isn't it?"

"...Yeah." Was all Billy said.

Danny sat down on the main desk, quiet for a moment, before asking, "So...any other ideas?"

Billy shrugged, "The only thing I can think of is finding some lighter fluid."

"Ok. Do you have any idea where would be a good place to check?" Danny asked.

The former soldier thought for a moment, replying, "A kitchen would be the most likely place to find it."

Danny got to his feet, showing Billy the map, "That, would be on the first floor right next to the main hall."

"Guess we're heading back then, aren't we?" Billy said with a chuckle before leading the way back.

Of course, Danny wasn't as amused, quietly muttering to himself as he followed, "And this is where the tedium starts."

* * *

 **Umbrella Research Center**

 **'Rebecca, Bryan'**

So far everything was going well with Bryan learning how to use a gun.

He practiced reloading over and over, making sure he had it down to the point that he could do it without needing to look.

When he got that down with no problems, Rebecca had made sure to warn him about the safety mechanism, which the young teen was well aware of, the safety being one of the very few things he actually knew about when it came to guns.

After covering all of the necessary details, eventually they got to the most dangerous part. Firing the gun.

Of course, Bryan knew how to fire it, which was by pulling the trigger.

But Rebecca warned him that it wasn't just the trigger, as he had to hold the gun safely and keep a strong grip.

"You might be surprised by just how strong the recoil really is when you fire it." Rebecca explained as she handed the gun to Bryan. "I put one bullet into the magazine, now, see that bottle over there?"

Bryan nodded as he took the gun, "You want me to shoot it, right?"

The STARS medic looked at him, "I want you to AIM and shoot it."

"S-Sorry, my bad." Bryan said as he slowly got to his feet, feeling an ache in his knee as he did so. Fortunately, the ache wasn't as painful as he was expecting it to be and managed to stand without much trouble.

He positioned himself, standing a good few feet away from the bottle, and slowly raised the gun, aiming it.

Rebecca stood next to him, watching him silently as she watched and waited for him to pull the trigger, prepared to catch him in the event the recoil throws him off balance.

However, she noticed that his hands were shaking, and started to wonder if letting him use a gun was a good idea.

Of course it was. He needed to defend himself, and this was really the best the STARS officer could do right now.

When she saw that his hands were still shaking, Rebecca decided to step in and assist.

Bryan was caught off guard, looking at Rebecca in surprise when she closed the gap between them, placing her hands over his own to help steady them. "It's alright, calm down. You won't be shooting at bottles later, but right now, no pressure, ok?" She said, smiling at him.

Her smile managed to make him smile a little, and he turned his attention to the bottle.

With Rebecca's help steadying his hands, Bryan pulled the trigger and watched the bottle explode into pieces, while also keeping the recoil under control, though that was likely just due to Rebecca's help.

Another smile, and Rebecca said, "Great job! See? You can do it no problem if you keep yourself calm and focused."

Bryan tilted his head a little as he smiled back, "I guess you're right. Or maybe you're just a good teacher you know?"

Rebecca let out a little chuckle.

It didn't take long before the two of them realised they were still in that same position, right up against each other with Rebecca's hands over his.

Both of them quickly separated and moved away from each other, turning their backs to one another. "Um...thanks, for uh, the lesson." Bryan quietly said.

Rebecca folded her arms as she looked down at the floor, "You're...welcome."

The two of them stood in silence for a long moment, only moving from their spots when they heard the doors open upstairs.

Billy and Danny appeared, making their way downstairs towards the two, causing Rebecca to ask, "You're back a lot sooner than I thought you'd be. What happened?"

A shrug, and Billy replied, "Well, for one, we were right to assume this place is just as dangerous as the train, there are zombies here too."

The word made Bryan shake, which didn't go unnoticed by Rebecca, who placed a comforting hand on his shoulder before replying, "What else did you find out?"

"That Danny might have jinxed us in that getting around this place might be a little more complicated than we thought." Billy replied.

Danny rolled his eyes and continued for the former soldier, "What Billy's trying to say, is that there's a locked door, and the only way to unlock it is by lighting a candle next to it. His lighter's empty so we're going to check the kitchen for some lighter fluid."

Bryan just stared at him for a moment, before replying, "Really? That's seriously what you're doing right now? Shouldn't we focus on finding a way out of here?"

"Believe me Bryan, that's easier said than done right now." Billy said, reluctantly adding, "Right now, we're just going to have to accept that, we have to do some, really stupid stuff to open doors."

Rebecca was about to say something, then stopped, thinking for a few seconds before asking, "Where is the kitchen then?"

Danny pointed to the double doors on the other side of the hall, "Through there."

Billy checked his gun and looked over at Bryan, asking, "How's your knee doing?"

Bryan sat back down on the chair to rest said knee, replying, "Well it's feeling a lot better than before. It still aches quite a bit though. Could I rest it for just a little bit longer?"

"Of course." Billy said with a nod. "Me and Danny will check the room upstairs. Once we come back, all four of us should start searching together."

Rebecca nodded, "Ok, I'll remain here then until you get back."

Billy waved a hand as he made his way to the doors on the other side of the hall, Danny following right behind him. He then looked back, replying, "If you hear gunshots coming from this room, don't follow us in. We can handle it."

"You can handle it, sure. It's Danny I'm worried about." Rebecca said, looking at him with a raised brow.

Danny showed her the knife he had, "I can defend myself, don't worry. I'm pretty fast too so I don't think I have to worry about any zombies trying to get me."

"Be careful!" Rebecca said, pointing a finger at him.

Facepalming, Danny replied, "Yeah, yeah I know, you said that already."

"And I'll keep reminding you!" Rebecca added.

Danny looked at Billy, "You hearing this?"

"Stay focused Danny." Billy said, holding back a chuckle before making his way into the dining room, handgun ready.

Tightening his grip around the knife, Danny followed closely, shutting the door behind them as they entered.

"Zombies!" Danny shouted almost instantly upon entering, pointing towards the zombies around the room.

Billy focused on the first zombie closest to them, and fired a perfect shot to its head.

The second zombie, approaching from the right of the dining room, closed in on Danny. The latter however kept his distance as Billy moved to dispatch another zombie on the far left side of the dining room.

When the second zombie was close enough that it lunged forward in an attempt to grab him, Danny dodged, pulling away and quickly circling around the zombie. Before he could move in to stab it in the head with his knife, it turned around a lot quicker than he expected and managed to grab him, push him against the wall and started trying to bite him.

The young teen grit his teeth and struggled as he pushed back as hard as he could to prevent the zombie from biting him.

Just as Billy turned and moved to help, a zombie on the floor grabbed onto his ankle and caused him to fall over. The zombie then tried to crawl towards him and take a chunk out of his leg, but Billy managed to keep it at bay by kicking it.

Danny wasn't having much luck himself, as the zombie was getting closer to biting him each time it pushed against him. Praying in his head that his next move would work, he waited until the zombie pulled away to lunge back in. When it pulled away, Danny raised the knife and put it between him and the zombies head, the blade of the knife pointing in the walking corpses direction.

When the zombie pushed back in to try and bite Danny, it impaled its head on the knife instead, and ceased to move almost instantly.

Danny quickly pushed the zombie off him and turned to Billy, who was still kicking at the zombie on the floor while trying to aim his gun at its head.

Just as Danny rushed over to help, Billy fired the gun, and the back of the zombies head exploded across the wall.

"I got it." Billy said, laying on his back while smirking a little at the young teen.

Danny just shrugged, "Whatever. Just you wait dude, sooner or later, you're gonna find yourself in trouble and I'll end up saving your ass this time."

Billy got back to his feet and checked his gun before looking around the dining room, "Right, now that that's dealt with, where's the kitchen?"

The young teen walked around in front of the entrance and eyed the red door, and the open space window right next to it. Looking through the window, he could see the kitchen.

"Found it." Danny said.

Billy approached the red door and went to open it, only to find it locked. "Great, that's just great."

Danny looked at him, "What's wrong?"

"Door's locked." Billy said. The red door being locked clearly meant that they were going to have to go and search for the right key to unlock it. He didn't want to admit it, but Danny was probably right about having to do stupid stuff, and right now, in his mind, Billy thought this was really stupid.

The former soldier ended up pacing back and forth for a few short minutes, and it was only after he looked at Danny, that he saw the young teen giving him a rather disappointed stare. "Why are you staring at me like that Danny?"

Danny shrugged, "Oh, no reason. I mean you do remember that conversation we had literally not that long ago don't you?"

"What? The one about video games or the one about having to do really stupid stuff?" Billy asked.

The young teen raised a brow at him, "Both actually."

Billy just folded his arms, giving the young teen a stern look, "Ok, what about it?"

Danny grinned as he explained, "You see Billy, in video games, you're restricted to what you can do in them. Obviously because it's a game, so there's limitations, like if there was a fence you could easily climb over in a game to reach your objective much quicker, you wouldn't be able to because it's a game. You have to follow the scripted path, which is NOT climb over said fence, and instead take the long way where you will have to fight everything in your way."

The former soldier just continued to stare at him. "...Ok. Your point?"

A chuckle, and Danny added, "My point, is that this is real life, not a game, so we don't need to open every door to find what we're looking for. Observe." Danny walked away from the red door, and instead, approached the open window right next to it, and climbed over into the kitchen.

He turned and watched Billy approach the window, adding, "As you can see, there is more than one way to get into a kitchen with a locked door."

Billy just frowned at him. "Right...I already knew that. I just...wanted to see if you would pick up on it is all."

"Whatever you say dude." Danny smiled.

* * *

 **Authors Notes: The only thing I really struggled with in this chapter was thinking of an appropriate title, and eventually I just gave up and went with something boring like 'Locked Doors' since that seemed to be the issue the characters were facing right now. It also let me have the characters interact a little more, but there will be more interactions throughout the story anyway so then it's not really a big deal. The only reason it was sort of a big deal was because they were separated into two groups of two, which allowed each character to interact with who they were with.**

 **Danny's talk with Billy about video games and the hints at doing tedious puzzles to get around was obviously me having a little fun and it did kinda help me set up that last part. Rebecca's interactions with Bryan are more simple, as she's just helping him learn how to use a gun and defend himself, while, also having moments of being much closer than the other would like, as clearly seen, so I hope that part satisfied those wanting to see the pairing between the two.**

 **Anyway, as usual, please Review, the feedback is always appreciated.**


	7. Giant Bugs

**So obviously this chapter took a lot longer than the last few, but that can really be blamed on a few unexpected things coming up. That said, I was more than halfway done before I had stop, and after that wasn't really in the writing mood for a bit. I also then reminded myself that I took five years to finish my last story, and there's no way in hell I'm gonna be making that mistake again, so here it is.**

 **With that, I've been having second thoughts about allowing new character submissions to my Rewrites, for the sake of, well, character driven parts I suppose etc, and so I might consider letting people submit an OC for the next three stories, excluding those who are already going to have their characters appear. Again, I MIGHT consider it, this story is already too far in so I won't bother, but I'm not really sure how I could include new characters in the first Rewrite given the location, but two and three are a high possibility, so we'll just have to wait and see.**

 **Disclaimer: Resident Evil and its characters belong to Capcom obviously, any Original characters in this story belong to me.**

* * *

 ** ** ** ** ** **Chapter 7:  
 ** ** ** ** ** **  
 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **'Giant Bugs'********************************************

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **Umbrella Research Center********************************************

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **'Rebecca, Billy, Bryan, Danny'************************************************************************************************************************************

Exploring the research facility turned out to be a lot more frustrating and tedious than it was difficult just avoiding the zombies that were creeping around in the rooms. Despite this, the survivors persevered, even if moving around the facility was a lot of back and forth stupidity that got on their nerves, Billy especially.

When Billy and Danny found the lighter fluid, they wasted no time making their way back to the library, sparing only a few words to Rebecca and Bryan to stay put.

Upon making it back to the library, Billy wasted no time lighting the candle and, to his surprise, the door actually unlocked.

Danny made sure to point out the possibilities that they would end up coming across similar obstacles when he started another one of his conversations about video games.

Of course, Billy just pretended to listen as they finally entered the small library, keeping his handgun ready.

It was a good thing he did as the two were immediately greeted with the sight of two zombies feasting on a dead scientist.

Billy made quick work of the zombies, dispatching them with carefully aimed headshots before beginning a search around the room.

The two of them had to have been searching for at least around ten minutes before Danny noticed an out of place bookcase. Billy decided to check it out, and pushed it aside to find it hiding, a big white book.

Just as Danny was about to give up, Billy pointed out the books weight when he picked it up, being a lot a heavier than it looked. The former soldier opened it up and discovered an angel statue hidden inside.

Danny didn't know what it could have been required for, until he remembered, and pointed out something that caught his eye back in the main hall.

Before they left, Danny went digging through the pockets of the dead scientist the zombies were eating, and discovered an MO Disk, the same kind required for the computer back at the lecture room.

With their business in the library concluded, the two quickly made their way back to the main hall, but stopped along the way to use the MO Disk at the main computer.

Once they had, gotten through the rather difficult process of finding the right switches the computer stated, which took the two of them nearly half an hour to work out, certain doors around the facility were unlocked. To be more precise, the double doors being blocked by the swords held by the suits of armour.

After that extremely frustrating task had been dealt with, Danny, now in a bad mood, silently made his way back into the main hall, followed closely by Billy, who was having no problems masking his amused expression.

Danny first made his way downstairs to sit down on a chair next to Bryan, and folded his arms, earning a confused look from his friend and the STARS medic who was checking out the recently unlocked double doors in the hall.

"What's wrong? What happened? Are you two the ones who unlocked the entrance here?" Rebecca asked.

Billy nodded as he made his way downstairs. "Yeah, that's our handiwork."

Bryan continued to look at Danny, and finally asked, "So what's wrong? You guys did what you went to do, surely we should be closer to getting out of here right?"

"Danny's just really frustrated right now. We must have spent over half an hour I think trying to, well, unlock the doors. It wasn't a simple process, let's just leave it at that." Billy explained, smirking slightly at them.

Rebecca held back a laugh, replying, "Oh, that would, explain the frown."

Danny glared at all of them, "Can you guys stop talking about me like I'm not here. I can CLEARLY hear everything you're saying."

"Relax Danny, we're just messing with you." Billy said with a chuckle.

The young teen got to his feet, and replied, "Whatever. You can mess around, I'm going upstairs to try and figure out what this statue is for." He said before making his way upstairs just above the painting.

"Well he's in a bad mood now, clearly." Bryan said with a roll of his eyes.

Billy sat down next to him, replying, "Trust me Bryan, if you were up there with us trying to figure out how to unlock the doors, you'd probably be in a bad mood too after it was all over and done with."

Bryan shrugged, "Oh I don't doubt it Billy. Danny is usually more composed and whatnot. He's really good at keeping a level head and rarely gets frustrated, so I know for a fact that if he ends up in a bad mood, it must have been really, well, bad."

"Bad, frustrating and tedious. I swear, who designs these places anyway?" Billy replied as he stretched his arms.

The young teen looked at him, adding, "I don't know, but if it's bad enough that even Danny got frustrated by it, it sounds to me like whoever designed this place really needs to get punched in the face. It's like it was intentionally designed this way to, make things complicated."

"It could just be for security." Rebecca said stepping into the conversation. "Keep in mind, this is a facility owned by Umbrella. And after everything we've found out so far, the shady files talking about some, virus, the level of security here clearly indicates that they're hiding something."

Billy shrugged, "I guess that means we're just gonna have to find out what it is they're hiding then."

Bryan looked at him in surprise, replying, "D-Don't you think getting out of here and telling the authorities is more important right now?"

"Yeah that too, at a later time." Billy said, "Right now though, how is your knee?"

A nod was Bryan's response. "It's better than before if that's what you're asking."

Billy shook his head, "I'm actually asking if you're able to walk yet."

"Oh..." Bryan looked down at his leg and placed his hand over his knee, touching it softly. It didn't ache, but it did once he gently pressed his hand down on it. The aching pain caused him to wince and pull his hand away, "Well, at this point, it really only hurts if I put too much pressure on it." He looked at Rebecca, waiting for her input.

When she saw Billy also looking at her, Rebecca asked, "What?"

"You're the medic. I can't make him go and he can't go unless you say so." Billy said.

Rebecca sighed and checked Bryan's knee, gently pressing her hand against it. The young teen didn't react with a pained hiss this time, and at most simply winced clearly, causing Rebecca to speak up, "I'm not going to force you to move on, if you still need time to heal up then-"

"No, it's fine." Bryan said, stopping her before adding, "We need to get out of here, and I'm only slowing us all down. Even if it still hurts a bit, I'll just soldier through it, it's not the first time I've suffered an injury in my life."

The STARS medic got up from her chair and helped Bryan to his feet, a look of concern on her face when she saw him wince in pain again. "Are you absolutely sure? Your knee will recover a lot faster if you let it rest, and there's no telling what else we're going to run into around here."

Bryan looked at her and managed a little smile, "I'm sure, don't worry."

Just as Rebecca was about to reply, Billy interrupted. "Relax Rebecca, if we run into anything, Bryan can just stay back at a safe distance while we handle it."

Rebecca let out a defeated sigh, "Fine. But I can't make myself any clearer right now when I say BE CAREFUL."

"Y-Yeah, sure." Bryan nodded, not willing to disagree with her.

With Rebecca keeping a close eye on Bryan, the three made their way upstairs and found Danny messing around with the statue holding the scales, as evidenced by the angel statue placed on one of them.

"Any luck?" Billy asked.

Danny looked at the three and shook his head, then gave Bryan a concerned look. "You doing okay?"

Bryan shrugged, "I've been through worse."

"Fair enough." Danny replied before looking back at the large scales. "I've came to the conclusion that the scales open up a secret passage around here."

Rebecca and Billy just stared at him, the former asking, "Care to explain that conclusion?"

Danny looked at the writing on the base of the statue and read it out loud, "When good and evil are brought into balance, a new path will be opened before you. I think that's a major giveaway that there's a secret passage."

Billy chuckled, "Danny, look, I know you're used to this stuff in video games, but remember, this is real life. It's extremely unlikely there's any secret passage."

"You remember those words then Billy." Danny smirked.

The former soldier just rolled his eyes, looking amused as he led the way towards one of the few doors they hadn't checked yet.

Upon entering, Billy quickly moved on upstairs to check the area out, just to make sure it was safe for the others.

"Aren't you worried about the guitar?" Bryan asked, obviously referring to Danny leaving said guitar back in the main hall.

Danny shook his head, replying, "Nah, we'll be heading back there to fetch the stuff we left as soon as we find a way to move on."

Rebecca followed the two as they slowly made their way upstairs, "Speaking of which, what's so important about that guitar anyway Danny?"

"I paid a lot of money for it." Danny said.

Facepalming, Rebecca added, "Really? Is that all? I'd think you're life is way more valuable than that Danny. A guitar is replicable, you're life is not."

Danny shrugged, "Well, there are a few other reasons but I don't think now is the time to explain them."

Before Rebecca could respond, they made it upstairs and saw Billy overlooking an empty pool. When they approached him, they saw a small cage inside the pool, and inside the cage, there was a little black demon statue.

"That look similar to the angel statue I left on the scales?" Danny asked.

There was a pause before Billy replied, "...Yeah, yeah it does."

Danny laughed. "Well then I guess we found the other piece of the puzzle. How do we get it?"

Billy looked around and pointed to a few rusty old levers used for winding the chains. "Over there."

"I'll get it." Danny said as made his way over to the levers.

Before he could turn the lever though, Billy stopped him, "That's probably gonna take someone with a little more muscle Danny, no offense."

Danny stepped aside and gestured for Billy to go ahead, "If you would do the honours then."

A chuckle, and Billy started turning the lever.

Inside the empty pool, the lever did its job and the cage was raised, just high enough for the others to get the statue.

Just as Bryan was about to climb into the pool, Rebecca stopped him, "I'll get it, you stay here."

The young teen didn't have a chance to respond as the STARS medic had already climbed down into the empty pool.

Rebecca picked the statue up and examined it, "It, definitely looks like it goes with the other one. Let's just hope this wasn't a waste of time."

Before Rebecca could climb out of the pool, something smashed through the large grate on the wall in the pool.

A giant centipede.

Rebecca screamed as the giant centipede grabbed a hold of her with many of its legs. "BILLY!"

"Rebecca!" Billy, Bryan and Danny screamed in perfect unison before the former soldier rushed over to the pool with his hunting gun.

The giant centipede was already out of the pool by the time he made it over, and Billy found himself getting knocked out of the way as the centipede reared back on its many rear legs and started crawling around the room.

During this, Bryan and Danny panicked and ran for the stairs, looking back before the latter spoke up, "What the fuck man! That's a big fucking centipede!"

"I got that part! How do we help Rebecca?!" Bryan replied.

Danny pushed him back, adding, "There is no WE, you're staying right here where it's safe, we can't afford for you to fuck up your knee again." He said before running out to give Billy a hand.

Billy tried to aim his hunting gun at the giant centipedes head, but it continued to crawl around so fast, that there was a big chance his shot would either miss or hit Rebecca.

When Danny ran to Billy's side, he asked, "What do you need me to do?"

"Try and slow it down, distract it." Billy said.

"Got it!" Danny nodded and ran towards the giant centipede. He ran in front of it and started shouting at it, "Hey! Put her down right now! Why don't you try me on for size!"

The giant centipede slowed to a halt and hissed at the young teen.

Danny's eyes widened and he screamed. "BILLY!"

The sound of the hunting gun firing and the giant centipede screeching in pain was all the relief Danny needed when he looked back up and watched the centipede flailing about in pain.

Before it could recover and get away, Billy closed in enough to shoot it in the head once more, causing it to flail about like mad, dropping Rebecca before falling over, completely still.

"Is it dead?" Danny asked.

Billy nodded as he approached the STARS medic, "Yeah, it's dead." He said as he leaned down and helped Rebecca to her feet. "Rebecca, are you all right?"

Rebecca smiled a little at him, "Yes. Thank you."

They all turned and gazed at the dead centipede, with Danny commenting, "Wow, first giant scorpions, now giant centipedes." He turned to Billy, adding, "I wonder what other crazy shit is crawling around in this place."

"Hopefully we won't be here long enough to find out." Bryan said as he approached them, looking at Billy for a moment before turning away. "I'm...sorry I didn't help out."

Billy shook his head, "It's fine, don't worry about it. With that knee of yours, you probably would have only ended up doing more harm to yourself than good."

"Still..." Bryan looked at Rebecca, a dejected look on his face. "I should have done, well, something to try and save you. Instead all I did was hide."

Rebecca smiled a little at him, "Hey, it's ok. Billy's right, with your knee still recovering, you very likely would have ended up getting yourself hurt. Besides, I'm fine, so everything's all right, right?"

"I guess..." Bryan nodded, albeit still looking unsure.

Before any of them could continue the conversation any further, Danny took the little black demon statue from Rebecca's hand and observed it. "Well, I guess we better go test our luck." He said before rushing his way back to the main hall.

"Danny wait a...second." Billy called out but was already too late. He sighed, adding, "Damn he's fast, come on, let's go." He said, leading the way back to the main hall.

Rebecca supported Bryan a little as they made their way downstairs, making sure he didn't put too much pressure on his knee.

The young teen had no objections to her help, but he was kicking himself internally, cursing at his current weak state and wishing he could do more.

When they made it back to the main hall, the three made their way to the statue holding the scales where Danny currently was.

"I was about to ask what took you so long but then I remembered Bryan's knee and everything so I figured it was probably best not to say anything." Danny said with a grin.

Bryan just frowned at him. "Or you could have just said nothing at all."

A shrug, and Danny turned to the scales, "Ok, let's see the magic happen. When good and evil are brought into balance, a new path will open before us!" Danny said out loud as he placed the little black demon statue on the scales.

With the angel statue on them too, the scales were eventually balanced.

The four waited in silence for a moment.

Waiting for something to happen.

And finally, just when Billy was about to speak up, they heard a sound.

"That sounded like it came from below us." Bryan said.

Danny was the first to run downstairs, followed by the others.

Right there in front of them, the painting of James Marcus was gone, and in its place was a secret passage, stairs that led down to who knows where.

After letting it sink in, Danny slowly turned to look at Billy with a smirk. "So Billy-"

"I don't wanna hear it." The former marine interrupted him as he entered the secret passage, making his way down the stairs.

Danny held back a chuckle, as did Bryan, and Rebecca couldn't help but let out a little giggle in response.

Rebecca was somewhat glad that, despite the situation they were in right now, fighting against zombies and monsters to survive, she was glad that her fellow survivors were able to at least find some ways to lighten the mood. It was a far better feeling than how she would have felt if she was walking around all alone.

Yet despite this, it didn't escape Rebecca's notice that some of Danny's laughs at times seemed rather, forced.

At first she thought about talking to him about it, but then decided against it, instead making sure to remind herself to ask about it at a later time when they were safe.

Rebecca followed Billy down the stairs, gesturing for the other two survivors to follow slowly.

When the group made it to the bottom, they found themselves in the facility basement.

It had only been a few seconds after looking around the hallway before Bryan and Danny screamed their heads off and bolted back up the stairs.

Billy and Rebecca were left in shock for a moment, trying to process what the hell just happened.

And it was only after they looked down the hallway that they saw the source of what sent Bryan and Danny screaming their way back upstairs.

Crawling around on the ceiling up ahead was, a very big spider.

Big being an understatement of course, as this spider was actually very big.

When he thought back to the giant centipede and the giant scorpion back on the train, Billy wasn't too surprised, although he could see why the two survivors would freak out.

Rebecca looked over at the stairs, then at Billy. The former marine checked his hunting gun before making his way towards the spider, simply saying, "I'll handle it."

* * *

After hearing a few gunshots and Rebecca giving them the all-clear, Bryan and Danny slowly, and cautiously, made their way back downstairs into the basement hallway where an amused Rebecca was waiting.

"Don't laugh. Just don't." Danny said with a frown.

Rebecca cleared her throat, clearly doing her best to refrain from bursting out laughing, "S-Sorry..."

Bryan continued to look embarrassed if anything, while Danny continued to frown. "I don't see what's so funny anyway. Those were really big spiders, anyone would have freaked out!"

"I didn't." Billy said as he approached them.

Danny pointed at him, replying, "Yeah, that's because you're old enough that you've seen plenty of shit, something like that was unlikely to freak you out."

Billy just smirked at him. "I ain't that old Danny, but you're right, I have seen plenty of shit, recently. Like a giant scorpion, a giant centipede, other things."

"That's not what I..." Danny stopped, then sighed, "You know what? Forget it. Let's just move on already, I don't wanna run into more of those anytime soon."

Bryan hissed in pain a little and rubbed his knee, "Fuck, hurt my damn knee running up those stairs."

Rebecca gave him a concerned look, "Are you okay? Do you need to sit down again?"

"N-No, I can manage. Just, don't walk too far ahead of me. I'm already on edge enough as it is worrying about what other kind of monsters we're gonna run into around here." Bryan said as the four started slowly making their way down the hallway.

His response only made Rebecca look more concerned, but before she could reply, Billy spoke up next. "Given what we've already run into, I don't see how it could get any worse Bryan."

Danny glared daggers at the former marine. "Hey! Don't fucking say that! Seriously, every single time someone says those exact words, it eventually gets worse."

Billy rolled his eyes, "Ok, as much as I'll admit how you've kinda proved me wrong a few times Danny, I think this time, you're gonna be wrong for once."

"No way dude. Just wait, I'll give us about ten minutes before something happens, then you're gonna wish you could take those words back." Danny replied.

The former marine just chuckled at him, "Challenge accepted, I'll start counting."

Rebecca just shook her head at their antics and led the way as they entered the room at the very end of the hallway.

The room they entered and the room ahead that they could see through the barred window looked like some sort of dungeon, and Billy struggled to keep a straight face the entire time when Danny looked at him.

"Still counting?" Danny asked.

Billy was silent for a moment, then replied, "...Yeah, don't proclaim your victory just yet."

Bryan saw a few pieces of paper on the old table and took a look at them. "Correctional Institute, Inmates List." After giving the papers a read, Bryan could only stare in shock. "What the...fuck?"

"What is it Bryan?" Rebecca asked before taking a look herself.

The young teen then replied, "Some of the names on here are listed as deceased and disposal complete. Most are listed as transported to research facilities or Arklay Laboratory, and some are listed as preserved as specimen."

When Billy took the papers and read through them, Danny asked, "What the fuck have they been doing to people here? Come on, disposal complete? They're treating people like fucking literal garbage! And what do they mean by preserved as specimen?"

"If I had to guess, it sounds like they're experimenting on people. Not that absurd when you consider everything we've encountered here so far." Billy said.

Bryan was the one who looked troubled the most hearing this. He then replied, "Umbrella...experimenting on people. But, t-they're supposed to be a pharmaceutical company! How can they do this?! How are they even capable of doing this?! Why hasn't anyone found out?!"

"One question at a time Bryan." Billy said, adding, "Though to give you an answer, after everything else we've seen, I think it's pretty safe to say that the whole pharmaceutical thing is just to cover up some extremely illegal activities, like this." The marine said, throwing the papers down. "It wouldn't surprise me at this point if Umbrella has been doing this for quite some time, or if this was always their intention since its foundation."

Again, Bryan looked troubled. "We have to tell the police!"

Danny however pointed a finger at Rebecca, "I think the police are very aware Bryan."

When the two teens looked at her, expecting a response, Rebecca replied, "I...I don't know. I don't know what you want me to do. It's...it's not as if I can do anything right now anyway."

"But when you make it back, you can tell your superiors right? You can tell everyone and bring all of this out into the light, can't you?" Bryan asked.

Rebecca looked unsure. "I...I can. But..."

Billy decided to speak up again, "Umbrella is a big company Bryan, they practically control Raccoon City. Taking them down is literally easier said than done."

Bryan looked at the former marine, replying, "But we can't let them get away with this!"

"And they won't!" Billy said out loud, catching them by surprise.

"...They won't get away with this. I don't know when, but they will pay sooner or later, people like them always do." The former marine said.

Danny finally spoke up, changing the topic. "Um...let's take a look inside here." He said as he opened the door to what was clearly the dungeon, or torture chamber in his eyes, which he could tell just by the chains and shackles scattered about the room. "Ok, so this is totally normal, nothing wrong with this right?"

"I know what you're trying to say, and I still think you're going to be wrong this time." Billy said as he looked around.

Given there wasn't much else to look at, Rebecca was about to leave, but stopped when she noticed a large open air vent.

She approached it, and after quickly realising it was too high for her to reach, she called Billy over. "Billy, come over here and give me a boost."

Billy and the others approached her, giving the air vent a curious look. "You sure that's a good idea?" Billy asked.

Rebecca shrugged, "No, but it's best if we make sure to cover every room we can."

Bryan then spoke up, "I'll go with you."

"No." Rebecca said almost instantly when she looked at him. "You and Danny stay with Billy, I'll check it out by myself."

Danny said nothing, and Bryan looked like he wanted to say something, but instead kept quiet and nodded.

The former marine didn't protest, he walked over to the wall below the open air vent and gave Rebecca a boost.

"I'm almost there!" Rebecca said as she reached for the air vent.

Billy held back a chuckle and smirked a little, replying, "I'm glad I could be of service. Time to go inside."

Rebecca climbed into the vent and crawled through it until she reached the end. She carefully climbed out and jumped down into the room on the other side of the wall.

As soon as the STARS medic set her eyes on the rest of the room, she let out a quiet gasp.

In addition to the chains and shackles on the walls like the room she was just in, this room had quite a few torture devices, the scary kind that hurts just to look at them.

She didn't even want to imagine what people went through in this place.

While taking a look around, and finding out the door was locked, Rebecca spotted a piece of paper in the corner of the room.

Rather than question why it was there, she decided to pick it up and take a look at it.

 _ **'About the Power Regulator**_

 _ **Due to the recent lightning strike, the power regulator continues to be inoperative.**_

 _ **It wouldn't really matter about the power, except for the fact that the boiler room equipment is in the same grid.**_

 _ **The equipment is so run-down. I'll probably have to have it fixed up all the time.**_

 _ **If you wish to exit rapidly, set the indicator to 70.**_

 _ **Check first though that everything is connected to the chain.'**_

Rebecca gave it one more quick look before turning to the control panel on the other side of the room.

She made her way over to the control panel and looked at it for a moment, then turned her attention to the indicator and the switches.

Judging by the red marker near the middle, she quickly assumed that was where she had to set the indicator.

The STARS medic sighed, "Great, this must be the stupid stuff Billy and Danny went on about. Now I know how they feel."

After about five minutes of frustration, and having to use the radio to let the others know she was okay, Rebecca finally set the indicator to the required amount.

Seconds after, she heard the door on the other side unlock.

Before leaving, Rebecca decided to give the room one more good look just to make sure she didn't miss anything.

* * *

Somewhere else, the young man in the cloak sat next to a monitor showing the STARS medic as she searched the room.

"You are wasting your time." The young man said calmly, adding, "I have already claimed this place for myself, which means you are trespassing, and I am very territorial."

The young man laughed maniacally as the door to a cage in another room opened up.

Inside, a small furry creature emerged from the shadows and screamed as it leapt to freedom.

* * *

Just as Rebecca had finished searching the room, a sound stopped her in her tracks before she could leave.

In the blink of an eye, something small jumped down from above and onto her back.

Acting quick, Rebecca quickly threw the small creature off of her back before it could cause any damage, she then turned to face it to see what it was.

It was a small rabid primate creature, and it looked like it had seen better days. It was practically a zombie monkey, no different from the dogs Rebecca encountered back on the train.

The monkey howled and leaped towards her but Rebecca quickly jumped out of the way.

Just as Rebecca slowly got back to her feet to face the creature, the floor collapsed under her and she fell into the darkness below.

* * *

"It just doesn't make sense."

The scientist and the STARS officer walked down a hallway as the former went through a document while voicing his concerns. "Do you honestly believe this to be the real identity of that crazy young man?" The scientist asked.

"Impossible." He added. "But if, somehow, it is true, then Umbrella will be finished."

The STARS officer replied as they approached an elevator. "If the old conspiracy against Dr. Marcus is revealed, Mr. Spencer's career will be over. Not to mention ours, too."

As soon as they reached the elevator, the STARS officer pressed the button. "So, the time has come at last."

"What are you going to do?" The scientist asked.

Turning to him, the STARS officer replied, "I will simply say goodbye to Umbrella. The biological weapon utilizing the T-Virus has almost been completed. Our only remaining task is to acquire combat data."

The scientist didn't seem to agree with him however. "You can't be serious. I refuse to abandon my work! I have finished the research on the T-Virus, but I need a little more time to complete the more powerful G-Virus."

As the elevator arrived and the doors opened, the STARS officer replied, "Do as you wish. I will follow my initial plan and lure the STARS members into the mansion." He said as he entered the elevator and pressed the button. "Their superior combat training should make them perfect test subjects." He added with a chuckle.

"Fine. In the meantime, something must be done about that mad man." The scientist replied, adding, "As I recall, U.R.C. is equipped with a self-destruct device in the basement."

The STARS officer almost smirked at the idea.

His scientist companion then added, "I'll find it, set it off, and annihilate the place to nothing more than a mass of rubble." He said just before the elevator doors closed between them.

* * *

While surviving her fall, Rebecca was now hanging on for dear life in the pit below, trying to keep a firm grip on the metal support sticking out of the concrete floor.

"I can't...hold on." She muttered as she tried to lift herself just enough to hook an arm over the support while using the other to grab her radio.

* * *

The sound they heard a minute ago, and the fact that Rebecca had yet to call them over the radio started to make the former marine and the two young teens very worried.

"Seriously what's going on?" Danny asked, his worry starting to show.

Billy shrugged, "I don't know, but Rebecca can look after herself. She'll call us if something-"

 _"BILLY HELP!"_

The desperate tone of Rebecca's voice following the beeping of the radio surprised the three of them.

If the worry wasn't showing on Bryan's face before, it certainly was now. "Rebecca! She's in trouble!"

Billy looked at him, then turned to look at Danny, who was just staring at him.

"Has it been ten minutes yet?"

* * *

 **Authors Notes: I decided to make this chapter longer just to make up for the long wait. Things will start to get, interesting, in the next chapter, as I plan to involve a small and short Side Story that will introduce, or rather reintroduce two characters from the original OC group, one of which who will end up playing an important role in one of the key morals of this story, seeking justice on those who have committed crimes and gotten away with it, even if it means taking justice into your own hands.**

 **Feel free to take a guess on which two characters that is, the list is obviously short and if you've been reading my ETE stories since the first one, you might have a good idea as to who. If not, just go by process of elimination and who fits the bill.**

 **As always, please Review, the feedback is always appreciated.**


	8. Revelations

**First off, this chapter took a while because other things came up that I had to prioritize before anything else, and second, I had nearly finished this chapter when I got back to it but there was a power outage. Which means I lost all of my progress, so I got really pissed off and took a break for a while. Normally I make sure to save my progress, but power outages rarely happen here, so I could never have expected that to happen.**

 **I sometimes look back and ask myself, why didn't I start off with Zero in the first place? Then again, it's probably a good thing that I didn't otherwise I wouldn't have decided to come back and rewrite the first three stories with better writing skills. Plus, if I had written it back then when my writing skills weren't as they are now, the story would have been awful. And I plan on making sure the rewrites will be better than the originals.**

 **Also, this is the chapter where a short Side Story will start, and takes place back in Raccoon City while Rebecca and the others are still fighting for their survival.**

 **Disclaimer: Resident Evil and its characters belong to Capcom obviously, any Original characters in this story belong to me.**

* * *

 ** ** ** ** ** **Chapter 8:  
 ** ** ** ** ** **  
 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **'Revelations'********************************************

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **Umbrella Research Center********************************************

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **'Billy, Bryan, Danny'************************************************************************************************************************************

To say Billy, Bryan and Danny were running about like mad would be a big understatement.

After running back through the hall and finding their way into the torture chamber where Rebecca had fallen, the three scattered when they were attacked by the zombie monkey.

Billy was only able to eventually kill it after it jumped onto Danny and tried to bite him, which, fortunately for Danny, it didn't.

When the three survivors approached the large hole in the floor and found out Rebecca was far below after calling out to her, they quickly tried to figure out a way down.

It was only thanks to the map that Danny kept on him that they figured out where Rebecca was and where they had to go to save her.

Bryan's eagerness to save her almost got him killed when he attempted to rush back through the room they went through and ended up running into a small group of zombies.

Fortunately, Billy was right behind him and managed to pull the young teen back before the zombies could grab him.

Making careful use of his bullets, Billy dispatched the zombies with headshots and led the way back to the main hall.

As soon as they made it back the main hall, they followed Danny's instructions as he read the map and made their way through the dining room, where they were once again attacked by a couple of zombies.

"Fuck these zombies! Just save your ammo and run!" Danny said as he sprinted on ahead.

Billy shoved one of the zombies back before it could close in on them and gestured for Bryan to run on ahead while he made sure the zombies didn't get too close.

After the two young teens made it to the boiler room, they shouted for Billy, who then ran on to catch up with them, slamming the door shut behind him so the zombies couldn't follow.

When they heard Rebecca's call for help over the radio again, Billy wasted little time rushing on ahead through the boiler room and down the stairs into the facility basement where the group hadn't been yet.

Before they could even attempt to run through the room they entered, a howl distracted them and they were attacked by more zombie monkeys.

Danny and Bryan backed away and continuously tried to kick them back while Billy kept his gun and knife ready as he tried to aim at one zombie monkey that was circling around him.

The two young teens had to duck and jump out of the way when the other zombie monkeys jumped at them, thankfully this distracted the other one just long enough for Billy to shoot it before turning his attention to the others.

While Bryan and Danny kept their distance, Billy slowly backed away from the remaining zombie monkeys, looking back and forth between them as they slowly inched closer, baring their teeth at him with the intent to kill.

One moved fast, but Billy was faster, and quickly aimed and fired his gun at it, successfully taking it down with a few bullets.

The other one was already in the air, having leaped towards the former soldier however.

Again though, Billy reacted quickly and raised his knife, letting the zombie monkey impale itself onto the blade.

It howled and flailed about, clawing at Billy and forcing him to drop the knife and the zombie monkey onto the floor. Before it could get up, Billy pinned it with his foot and shot it in the head, finally killing it.

Billy did a quick check on the zombie monkeys to make sure they were dead before turning to face Danny. "Alright, quickly, show me the map!"

Danny showed him the map and, realising they were really close, Billy wasted no more time making his way to where Rebecca was.

As soon as the three made it to the corner of the room however, another zombie monkey jumped out from behind the corner and grabbed onto Billy.

It had a firm grip on him and then proceeded to try and bite him, but Billy managed to push it back. Danny then moved in to help and grabbed hold of the zombie monkey.

This caused the Rockstar to scream in terror when the zombie monkey very quickly turned its full attention to him instead.

Thankfully, Billy grabbed it and pulled it off of the young teen before it could harm him and threw it across the room before it could turn on him again. Just as the zombie monkey got back to its feet, the former soldier fired several shots at it and killed it.

"Anymore?!" Danny asked, a bit shaken.

Billy shook his head, "That seems like the last of them. Come on, the storage room is just up ahead!"

They rushed on ahead, hoping they would still make it in time.

* * *

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **Raccoon City********************************************

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **At the same time...********************************************

On a quiet little street in Raccoon City, a car slows to a stop in front of a dark alley, the driver of said car turning the headlights off before stepping out of the vehicle.

The driver was a little tall, at least over six feet, he had a somewhat average but decently built physique, for the most part he looked healthy and fighting fit. He had the clean shaven face of a businessman yet his features were a little thin and fresh-faced. A young adult who looked to be in his very early twenties.

His blue eyes were narrowed into the calm frown on his face as he brushed a hand along his short, slightly curly black hair, he looked like he had just gotten out of bed and hadn't cleaned and washed up yet.

But his clothes were tidy and clean, having the fresh smell of a suit. He was wearing a thin black leather jacket over his plain white t-shirt, and to compliment the colour of his jacket, he was also wearing a pair of black denim jeans and black laceless trainers, clearly hinting at a dislike for laces.

Letting out a very tired yawn, the driver walked around the car and stood by the dark alley, recoiling a little at a rather disgusting smell before quietly calling out, "Scott, are you here?"

"Right here Alex."

The voice came from the alley.

The driver, Alex, turned and saw a young man approach him from the shadows of the alley, and as he stepped out of the darkness, Alex's eyes widened in shock. "What did you do?"

The young man, Scott, just frowned at him. He was just slightly shorter than Alex and he was well built almost like a tank, a muscular physique that one only gets from going to the gym very often. Unlike Alex, Scott's face wasn't clean shaven, his facial hair was noticeable but it was cut very short and trimmed that you'd have to be very close just to notice it.

Despite being in his early twenties like Alex, his rough and square features, along with his noticeably shaved head, made him look a bit older, the furrowed brow and the cold look in his blue eyes only adding to it.

His clothes however, told a different story. Scott was wearing a plain black t-shirt that made his muscles more noticeable due to how tight it looked on him, he was also wearing a pair of desert camo cargo trousers and tan coloured combat boots, one of his favourites.

The only thing missing, Alex noticed, was the desert camo jacket Scott took with him.

When Alex asked what Scott had done, he was referring to the bloodied gloves covering Scott's hands.

Scott just looked down at his hands with a frown, balling them up into fists before stepping aside, letting Alex slowly enter the alley...

...just enough to see the dead body of a soldier slumped against the wall.

Alex just stared in absolute shock, trying to process what he was seeing before he quietly asked once more. "...What did you do? S-Scott...what did you do?"

"It's complicated." Was Scott's simple reply.

Of course, said reply didn't sit well with Alex, who faked a chuckle. "Yeah...no shit." He turned and glared at his friend. "Is this what you called me out here for? You got me out of my bed in the middle of the night for this?"

When Scott didn't reply, Alex added, "...I want to think, right now, that you just found this guy like this. But the blood on your gloves already tells me the truth, you killed him. You killed somebody Scott. What am I supposed to make of this?"

Again, Scott didn't reply, instead he went over to the dead soldier and picked up a desert camo jacket that was covered in blood.

There were quite a number of thoughts running through his mind right now and despite being very conflicted about this sudden and very unexpected issue, Alex had to do the right thing, no matter how much it hurt. "Scott, I...I have to call the police."

"Call 'em then." Scott said as he approached his friend, giving Alex a calm frown. "Although that would be a bad idea."

Alex lost it when he said that. "A bad idea? LOOK! Look at that! That right there was a bad idea! What the fuck was going through your mind when you did this?! You murdered a fucking innocent man! Not just that, you murdered a fucking m-"

"A SCUMBAG!" Scott shouted.

The fact that he shouted caught Alex completely by surprise and made him recoil in shock.

Everything was quiet for a long moment when the two went silent, and Alex mentally lectured himself for not keeping his composure. Although given the circumstances, he was more than justified right now.

Finally, Scott spoke up again. "...He was a scumbag. Not just a scumbag, but a lying, backstabbing, murdering scumbag."

Alex stared at him with a neutral expression, not sure what to make of it.

He then decided to ask, "Explain then. Tell me what happened. I don't want to move on with my life knowing one of my best friends is a murderous psychopath."

Scott held back a chuckle, and gestured towards Alex's car. "Drive us back to the house, I'll explain along the way."

Alex looked back into the alley, replying, "Fine but...what about the body? Someone will find it very soon and they might-"

"Relax." Scott interrupted him. "No one is gonna find out it was me, I already took a few precautions."

When he said that, Alex started to worry again. "The fact that you're covering your trail is not helping your case."

Scott walked around to the back of Alex's car and put his bloodied camo jacket into the trunk before making his way to the passenger door. "Like I said...I'll explain along the way."

Alex just stared at him for a very long moment.

In all the time he knew Scott Calver, he never had any reason to doubt him, because he always had a good reason for everything he did. Granted some reasons had often been, either too much or just plain extreme, but he always had a good reason for everything he did, whether it was something good, or something bad.

The current issue was beyond extreme and far beyond something bad, but right now, all Alex could do was give his friend the chance to explain, he owed him that much at least.

"...If this is bullshit, and you murdered the guy just for the sake of it, I'm calling the police, Scott." Alex said as he regained his composure and sent Scott a calm but threatening stare before getting into the car.

Scott opened the passenger door and entered the car next, shutting the door before calmly replying...

"If I get to the bottom of this, it's not me you'll be calling the police on."

* * *

 **Umbrella Research Center**

 **'Rebecca'**

It almost felt like she was holding on for a long time now and her strength was starting to leave her.

Rebecca was only holding on by just one hand and now she was beginning to lose her grip.

Among the things she pondered in her mind, she realised that Billy, an escaped criminal, was now free to make his getaway and now she wasn't there to stop him.

This was without a doubt the best opportunity for a criminal to get away completely and she was unable to do anything about it. Despite remembering what Bryan and Danny had said to her, she began to doubt it. Here she was, holding on for her life, just about to fall to her death and it didn't look like Billy was showing up to help her.

At first, she believed he would've shown up soon but after what seemed like forever, she realised there could be no greater opportunity for him to escape and now it seemed like he had taken that opportunity.

With this and her hope all but gone, she concluded that she was wrong to trust him, and that she was going to die as a failure of a police officer.

As she started to lose her grip, Rebecca silently prayed in her mind that Bryan and Danny would make it out safe and sound, that was all she could hope for now.

She lost her grip.

"REBECCA!"

But rather than fall, someone quickly reached down and grabbed her hand.

Billy.

The STARS medic grabbed onto Billy in return and looked up at him in surprise as he slowly started to pull her back up.

"Hang on. I'll pull you up." Billy said as he used his other hand to take hold of Rebecca's arm.

As he pulled her up, Rebecca looked and saw Bryan and Danny holding onto Billy, clearly making sure that he didn't fall in while he was pulling her up.

When Billy pulled her up enough, Bryan and Danny reached down and helped pull her up and away from the hole.

Words alone were not enough to describe how relieved Rebecca was now that she was safe. It was a close call, so much so that Rebecca had to look around, using her hands to feel the floor she was currently lying on to make sure it was real, and to her joy, it was.

She let out a sigh of relief and looked over at Billy, Bryan and Danny, all who were seated on the floor around her. She gave them the most grateful smile she could, and said, "Thank you."

"Don't mention it. Just keeping my word." Billy replied with a shrug as he turned his back to her while remaining seated. "We promised to cooperate with each other. Remember?"

Rebecca looked over at Bryan and noticed his teary eyes.

She smiled at him, causing him to move over to her and pull her into a tight hug. "I thought I'd lost you." He muttered quietly as he buried his face into her shoulder.

For a moment, Rebecca was taken aback by his words, but decided to forget about it and simply responded by returning his hug, wrapping her arms around his back, quietly replying, "But you didn't, you saved me."

Bryan pulled away a little and looked her in the eye, "Well, it was all Billy really. He handled those zombie monkeys no problem."

"You don't give yourself enough credit Bryan." Billy said looking over at the young teen. "I couldn't have handled those zombie monkeys without you and Danny backing me up."

Danny raised his hand, "Technically all we did was distract them, kinda."

Billy pointed at him. "Yeah, but don't forget your map Danny. If you hadn't kept that with you, we would never have found our way down here in time."

"Well...I suppose you have a point." Danny said with a chuckle.

Bryan didn't look so sure however, adding, "Come on Billy, you could've taken those things even without our help."

Billy just shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. Doesn't matter, Rebecca's safe now, that's all that matters." He looked over at Bryan again and smirked. "Right?"

The young teen just looked confused however, not sure what Billy was trying to imply with the look he was giving him.

Either way, he agreed with the former marine.

Before anyone could say another word, they were silenced by the sound of Rebecca's radio beeping.

Rebecca quickly got to her feet and answered it. "This is Rebecca. Over."

 _"Rebecca, this is Enrico. Have you managed to locate Coen yet? Over."_

All eyes were on Billy as he slowly got to his feet, looking at Rebecca in silence as he waited for her to give her Captain a response.

 _"Rebecca, answer me."_

Rebecca hesitated for a moment. It was only after seeing the concerned looks on Bryan and Danny's faces and a brief glance at Billy, that she responded. "No sir. I have not found him yet. I'll continue to search for him. Over." She replied before putting her radio away.

Billy just stared her, surprised and confused. "Rebecca..."

From the looks on their faces, Bryan and Danny were just as surprised.

Rebecca turned around to face Billy and just smiled a little at him. "My first mission and I've already disobeyed orders. So much for my great law enforcement career." She shrugged, adding, "Oh well. I probably won't live long enough to worry about it."

Bryan then spoke up, "Don't say that Rebecca. We've made it so far, right?"

Danny nodded, "Yeah. If we stick together, we'll make it out of this."

Billy was the one to speak up next. "They're right you know."

"I hope so." Rebecca replied. She stayed silent for a moment before turning to Billy again and, remembering her previous conversations with Bryan and Danny, finally decided to ask the former marine the question that had been burning in her mind since she first met him. "Billy...I just need to know. I need to know the truth."

When she glanced over at Bryan and Danny, the looks on their faces told her that they knew what she was going to ask.

She faced Billy again, and asked him, "Did you really kill twenty-three people? I'm not going to judge you. I just want to know the truth."

Billy just stared at her for a moment, then looked at the two young teens who were also waiting for him to answer.

Finally, he relented with a sigh, and answered, "It was around this time last year."

Images flashed through Billy's mind as he remembered the events of that day, images of his unit marching through bushes and trees.

"Our unit was ordered to Africa, to intervene in a civil war. Our mission was to raid a hideout of some guerrilla forces located deep inside the jungle." Billy explained.

Again, the images flashed through his mind, this time remembering when he saw many of his fellow marines being gunned down and returning fire on the hidden enemy. "But the hideout was far away from our entry point."

He remembered the images of his fellow soldiers collapsing in front of him, adding, "Some died from the heat, others were killed by the enemy."

"In the end, only four of us survived." He added, remembering when he and what was left of his unit made it out of the jungle and stumbled upon a village.

Billy leaned against one of the large wooden boxes, frowning as he got to the part he didn't want to talk about. "Only, there was no guerrilla hideout."

"What do you mean?" Rebecca asked, while Bryan and Danny just listened, curious and wanting to know what happened next.

When Billy replied, it was probably the first time any of them heard him so angry. "The idiots in charge had us operating based on wrong information! But we couldn't just go back home empty-handed, oh no. Our leader ordered us to attack an innocent village." He said that last part with an angry glare.

* * *

 _Billy watched his Commanding Officer fire his weapon in the air as the other two marines rounded up all of the terrified villagers, one of them shoving a villager onto the ground and kicking him towards the others._

 _"Get rid of them! Kill them all!" His Commanding Officer shouted._

 _Unable to stand and watch, Billy called out and pleaded, "Please, sir! Cease fire immediately!" He said as he quickly approached the leader of his unit._

 _"Shut up!" Was his Commanding Officer's response as well as smacking Billy in the head with his weapon._

 _Billy fell over in response to the unexpected strike. Dazed, he took a moment to shake off the pain, before the sound of his leader caught his attention again._

 _"Do it!"_

 _In the blink of an eye, all of the villagers quickly fell down one by one in response to the rain of bullets being sprayed at them from Billy's Commanding Officer and the other two marines._

 _"No! Don't! Stop!" Billy shouted as he got to his feet and rushed towards his Commanding Officer, the latter simply giving him a cold glare._

* * *

"So...did you execute those innocent people?" Rebecca asked.

Danny then spoke up, "More like his asshole Commanding Officer executed them. Him and the other two surviving members of his team."

Bryan nodded, "Yeah. It's pretty obvious now that Billy's being framed for what his Commanding Officer and his team members did." He looked over at Rebecca, adding, "He's innocent Rebecca, I know he is. My opinion probably doesn't mean much but...well..."

"Forget about it. It doesn't matter anymore." Billy said, interrupting him. "That was then, this is now. Besides, you said you wouldn't judge me." He said before turning his back to the STARS medic.

Rebecca shook her head. "I'm not judging you. But it does matter." She walked around him until they were face to face, adding, "Look, now my people think you killed those MPs in the van, but I don't think you did." She waited for a reply, but when he didn't give one, she continued. "It was those zombie dogs, right? When they attacked the van, you were able to escape. Isn't that right?"

Billy just waved a hand, shrugging her off, "You don't get it. I've only got two choices left: Either report to the marines and serve out my sentence, or keep on running for as long as I can. That's all."

"Well, I just thought I'd let you know, the first choice is bullshit, because you did nothing wrong." Danny replied.

Billy sighed, "Forget about it, if you want to we can talk about it more later, but right now, we need to get out of here." He said, checking his handgun before leaving the room.

Bryan watched him leave, then turned his attention to Rebecca, who looked conflicted. He approached her and asked, "Are you okay Rebecca?"

Rebecca looked at him and smiled a little, "Yeah...I'm...I admit I'm still a little shaken after nearly, falling to my death."

"Good thing I had the map." Danny said with a grin.

The STARS medic laughed a little, "Yep, it is a good thing you had the map Danny." She checked the bullets for her handgun, and then walked on. "Ok, let's go, we don't want to get separated again."

"I think we're the ones that should be saying that." Danny said.

Rebecca chuckled, "Yeah, good point. Come on, stay close." She said before leaving the room after Billy.

Before Bryan could follow, Danny stopped him, "Bryan hold up."

The young teen looked back at his friend, curious. "What's wrong Danny?"

Danny went deep in thought for a moment, before asking, "Billy said that all of that shit happened around, this time last year, right?"

Bryan nodded, "Yeah?"

The Rockstar then asked, "Well, correct me if I'm wrong, but this time last year, that was just a good few days before Scott dropped out of the USMC wasn't it?"

It was at the mention of this that Bryan got more curious. "Now that you mention it, yeah, that's right."

"So, that means that Scott was still in the Marines up until a few days after he and the others would have heard about that shit with Billy's unit." Danny replied.

Bryan thought for a moment. "You think he might know more about it since he was at the base? Or, do you think that's why he dropped out eventually?"

Danny shrugged, "I dunno man, we'll ask him and his dad when we get back to Raccoon City."

A nod, and Bryan replied, "True, Scott's dad was a Commanding Officer too, he might be able to clear things up for us."

* * *

 **Raccoon City**

 **At the same time...**

Alex and Scott finally arrived back the house after a long, slow drive.

The slow drive in particular was due to Alex losing concentration due to trying to wrap his mind around what he had heard during the drive back to the house, and didn't want to risk crashing.

As soon as he turned off the engine, Alex slowly looked over at Scott, and quietly told him, "You're playing with fire Scott."

"I've been playing with fire my whole damn life." Scott casually replied as he opened the car door to get out, closing it behind him.

Alex opened the door on his side and shut it after stepping out, waiting for Scott to retrieve his bloodstained jacket from the trunk before locking the car.

"Scott..." Alex started, "What are you going to do?"

It was no surprise that Scott just frowned at him calmly, it was the common look he always gave when asked that question. "Do you even need to ask?"

Alex nodded, "Yes. Because you're either going to end up dead, in jail, or worse."

"That's just assuming I make a mistake." Scott said as he examined his camo jacket.

Alex shook his head in frustration. "There's a very big chance that you WILL make a mistake. What am I gonna do if you get caught?"

"I won't."

"But what if you do?!" Alex said out loud, trying to keep himself from yelling.

Scott just looked over at him, and simply said, "Then I was doing it alone, you had no involvement whatsoever."

Alex facepalmed, taking a moment to calm down before adding, "Technically, I'm already involved after seeing that dead-"

"Relax." Scott interrupted him with a frown. "Just leave it to me. Let me clean up and rest for a bit and then we'll head out, so I can finish this."

Again, Alex facepalmed, he wasn't sure what to say right now, but decided to just go along with it for now. "I hope you know what you're doing Scott."

"Trust me." Was all Scott said as the two of them made their way into the house.

Unknown to the two of them however, someone was sitting in a car just across the street, curiously watching them in silence.

The figure adjusted his sunglasses and twirled a revolver around his finger.

He quietly said to himself, "Guess I better wait until they leave."

* * *

 **Authors Notes: Finally got that done, I already stated my reasons for why this chapter took longer than usual, and I have a hunch the others might take just as long, hopefully not though, that depends on what the chapters include.**

 **So as you can obviously tell, Alex and Scott are back, and Scott's planning something that Alex doesn't like, which will be found out later on. For now, I've left quite a few hints as to what's going on, I'm not sure if the hints make it obvious or not, but that's for you readers to find out and say. Again, I suck at writing character descriptions, but I try and do what I can.**

 **Also, if you've been reading my Enduring the Evil stories since the very beginning and still do, then chances are you will know exactly who the Mysterious Figure at the end is.**

 **As usual, please Review, the feedback is always appreciated.**


	9. Wings and Teeth

**I've now reached what I'm hoping is the halfway point of the story, so assuming I'm able to write the rest of the story the way I'm trying to, that means there's only Seven Chapters left, including this one.**

 **Despite skipping a few things for the sake of story progression, I still tried to include the more important things here and there in order to make it seem less rushed. So hopefully by the time the story is finished, I can look back and think that the pace was somewhat fair.**

 **Disclaimer: Resident Evil and its characters belong to Capcom obviously, any Original characters in this story belong to me.**

* * *

 ** ** ** ** ** **Chapter 9:  
 ** ** ** ** ** **  
 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **'Wings and Teeth'********************************************

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **Umbrella Research Center********************************************

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **'Rebecca, Billy, Bryan, Danny'************************************************************************************************************************************

After the small group of survivors took their moment to rest, they moved on to continue their search for an escape.

The first thing they found when they went a little deeper into the basement was a training room.

While there was nothing worth checking out in the larger part of the room, the room upstairs just above it contained plenty of things they could make good use of.

To be more specific, the room upstairs was practically a small armoury, weapons like shotguns and assault rifles were scattered carelessly all over the room.

Since most of the weapons were in working order, Billy decided to have Bryan and Danny use the briefcase and a large bag they found to carry as much as they could, making sure to take whatever ammo they could find first since they were already low.

Billy also found a magnum, which he gladly took with him, leaving Rebecca with just handgun parts, much to her dismay.

After making sure they had everything they needed, the group decided to head all the way back to the remaining door they had yet to check out, which just so happened to have been one of the few doors that was originally locked by the suits of armour. The same door that was in the empty pool room where they took down that giant centipede.

Thankfully, the way back to the main hall wasn't difficult, and Billy was able to dispatch the few zombies that were waiting for them.

Despite the former marine protecting them, showing no fear as he took the zombies down one by one with ease, Bryan and Danny were still just as nervous and afraid as they were back on the train. Throughout their walk back to the main hall, one or both of them slowed down a couple of times and Rebecca had to calmly encourage them to move on.

By the time they made it back to the main hall, the first thing Danny did was make sure his guitar was still there.

Fortunately for the Rockstar, the guitar case was right where he left it.

Although, despite the fact that the guitar was still inside, Danny decided to open the guitar case just to be absolutely sure.

"Thank god it's still there." Danny said, breathing a sigh of relief as he looked over his expensive guitar. "Hello beautiful. Did you miss me?"

Billy held back an amused chuckled, he then turned and asked Bryan, "By the way, how's that knee of yours?"

Bryan raised his foot a little and moved his leg. His knee ached, but only a little, and this time it didn't bother him much. "There's still a bit of pain, but it's not that bad anymore. I can walk around just fine now."

The former marine nodded, replying, "Good to hear. Maybe that exercise running down to the basement helped a little."

Rebecca just rolled her eyes at the former marine, "Really? Resting the knee is what helps a speedy recovery, exercise would just make it worse."

Billy raised a brow at her. "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah." The STARS medic said.

Bryan just shrugged when the two looked back at him. "Well...I mean...she is the medic." He said, not really wanting to take sides but didn't have much of a choice.

Billy however just gave him a teasing smirk, and added, "I suppose you do have a point."

"Good news everybody, the guitar is okay." Danny said interrupting them, approaching with the guitar case hanging from his shoulder.

Rebecca just stared at him, unamused. "We're so happy to hear that Danny, really, we are." She replied sarcastically.

Danny simply went along with her response, adding, "I know right?"

Before the STARS medic could respond any further, Billy spoke up. "Anyway, let's take a moment to rest up before we continue. Danny, hand me the map."

Danny tossed Billy the map before seating himself in a chair to rest.

Rebecca and Bryan decided to do so as well and sat down on a couple of chairs next to each other while Billy was going through the map.

"How are you feeling?" Rebecca asked.

Bryan looked at her, and quietly replied, "Physically, I'm okay. Mentally, can't say I'm feeling any safer right now than I felt back on the train. I suppose you could say I've just got a lot on my mind right now." He said looking away.

Rebecca smiled and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, "Hey, look at me." When he looked back at her, she added, "It's ok. I promise, I'm going to get you and Danny back home."

Bryan wanted to smile, but he couldn't, and quietly told her, "Don't make a promise like that Rebecca. If something happens to us after you make a promise then you'll only-"

"Nothing, will happen to you." Rebecca interrupted him. "It's my job to protect you and that's what I'm going to do, even if it kills me."

Those words didn't really help Bryan's mood.

Even if it was her job, he didn't want her risking her life and potentially losing it just to make sure he survived.

And every time he thought about it, it hurt.

The thought of knowing that her obligation to protect him could end up getting her killed. He felt that if that happened, then her death would ultimately be his fault.

All because he can't look after himself.

He was feeling mixed emotions about it all, whether it was fear, frustration, and, possibly anger. Anger at his own weakness.

Bryan thought about it, and realised that sooner or later, he may possibly find himself in a situation with no one to help him.

And if he wanted to make it out of this, he would have to start getting aggressive once again.

Just like he did years ago.

* * *

 **Raccoon City**

 **At the same time...**

Scott wasted little time washing his desert camo jacket, making sure every bloodstain was gone before leaving it to dry.

Alex, after cleaning out the trunk, made his way back inside and sat down in the living room on a single chair, keeping his eyes on Scott the entire time.

The former marine was casually seated on the sofa, just, staring off into space, deep in thought.

It wasn't until they heard muffled movement that their attention immediately went towards the door.

The living room door opened and a young teen around their age entered.

The young teen was slim but still looked plenty fit, and he was shorter than both Alex and Scott, looking around five feet nine. Despite the tired expression on his face, he still seemed better looking than the other two in the living room, he was an example of that one usual good looking smart young guy in your classroom who got every question right before anyone else.

He had short, dirty blonde wavy hair, which seemed to just go well with his milky white skin. His eyes were a piercing green colour and judging by the mixed look in his eyes, Alex and Scott realised they had some explaining to do.

"Hey Andrew. Just get out of bed?" Scott asked.

Andrew looked down and gestured at his dark blue pyjamas before giving Scott an obvious look. "What do you think?"

Scott shrugged, while Alex facepalmed.

The young teen folded his arms and leaned against the wall before asking the two straight up. "What's going on? You're never out this late, neither of you."

"...It's complicated." Was all Alex said.

Andrew however didn't look convinced. "I'll be the judge of just how complicated it is Alex. Don't try and hide anything, I know when something is up with you guys."

Alex sighed and mentally cursed Andrew's ability to always see through his bullshit. "What do you want to know?"

"You can start by explaining where the two of you were." Andrew replied.

Scott however decided to save Alex the trouble of figuring out a response and just gave Andrew a blunt answer. "I killed someone."

If there was a look or feeling of shock and surprise, Andrew was doing a damn good job at hiding it, keeping his expression tired and stoic. "Ok, I'll play along. Who did you kill and why?"

"...You might want to sit down for this one Andrew." Alex said.

Andrew remained standing at the door however, replying, "I'm fine, explain away Scott."

Scott shrugged, "Ok. The guy I killed was a Marine."

* * *

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **Umbrella Research Center********************************************

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **'Rebecca, Billy, Bryan, Danny'************************************************************************************************************************************

The four survivors had continued on their way in their attempt to escape.

When they made it back to the empty pool room, Danny and Bryan jumped in fear when they saw the dead giant centipede they had taken down earlier, clearly having forgotten about it.

Fortunately nothing got in their way so far and the group managed to make it to the observatory tower beyond.

There, they found a switch with three tablets inserted into slots.

Other than the fact that the tablets were engraved with the words Obedience, Discipline and Unity, Danny decided to ignore their purpose and just activated the switch.

What followed after, caught them by surprise.

The entire observatory detached from the Research Facility and descended, causing the water level below them to rise up to just below their feet.

Right after it stopped moving, the door on the other side of the observatory unlocked, allowing the four survivors to explore a new area of the facility they hadn't reached yet.

Danny was about to brag about his 'detective' skills, but the others moved on before he could get the chance.

When the group of survivors made it outside, they were taken aback by the sight before them.

There was a small building up ahead that looked exactly like a church, much to Danny's surprise and confusion.

Curiosity getting the better of him, Danny increased his pace and walked ahead of the others until he was at the church entrance.

However, as he expected, the entrance was locked, much to his annoyance.

"I was about to say goddammit but I don't think that would be appropriate right now." Danny said with a sigh.

Billy gave the door a soft kick. "Isn't there a way to open it?"

Rebecca looked around and gestured towards the small bell tower at the side of the church. "What's in there?"

The STARS medic, with Bryan following, decided to check it out, making their way into the small room of the bell tower hoping to find a key or something that would open the church entrance.

Instead they found nothing. In fact, the small room of the bell tower was just an empty space.

"There's nothing in here." Rebecca said, sounding a little frustrated.

Bryan felt bad that he couldn't be of much help, and just leaned against the wall as he stood in the corner, trying to think of something that could help.

However, as he went to stand in the corner, he felt something move under his foot.

At the same time, Billy and Danny heard the church entrance unlock.

"It's open!" Danny shouted as he checked and successfully opened the church doors.

After looking back and forth, Bryan and Rebecca put two and two together and realised one of the tiles in the floor was the key to the church entrance.

Billy waved over at the two of them, "Just wait out here, we'll check it out first and let you know what we find."

Rebecca was about to respond, but before she could, Billy had already entered the church and closed the door behind him.

"Well that was, kind of rude." Rebecca said folding her arms.

* * *

 **Church**

 **'Billy, Danny'**

When Billy entered the church, he looked around for Danny, and saw the young teen slowly approach the altar.

Danny kneeled down in front of the altar and went deep in thought.

He felt like he hadn't been in an actual church for a long time, even though it wasn't that long ago that he had been in one.

Maybe it was just everything he'd been through so far since the train had been attacked, it almost felt like this nightmare had been going on for a good while now.

Right now though, he felt more relaxed at the moment, probably more than he did back in the main hall of the facility.

That was just the kind of effect that being inside of a church had on Danny, he always felt safe inside of a church, more so than anywhere else.

"You okay Danny?" Billy asked.

Danny looked over his shoulder at the former marine and nodded, "Yeah I'm fine. I just need a moment, you can take a look around if you want."

Billy nodded and decided to go and check out the back room.

Now alone, Danny took hold of his cross pendant and closed his eyes, quietly muttering to himself, "We've made it this far, and I'd like to think that it's all thanks to you."

He raised the hand holding the pendant to his forehead, quietly adding, "Please continue watching over us, so that we may survive and escape this nightmare soon."

After giving a silent prayer, Danny felt a little more relaxed now, as if a weight had suddenly been lifted off of his shoulders.

When he heard the door to the back room open, he turned to see Billy enter, looking at him curiously. "You find anything useful?" Danny asked.

Billy shook his head, "No. Unless you consider a typewriter and a few ink ribbons useful, then no, nothing."

"Fair enough." Danny said with a shrug.

The former marine tilted his head a little, still looking at Danny with a curious expression. "So, you a, religious guy Danny?"

Danny looked back at the altar, a soft frown replacing his smile. "Not really..."

"No? You seem to know your stuff from what I've seen so far." Billy replied.

The Rockstar shook his head, replying, "I'm not a religious guy. I'm just going by what my mom told me."

Billy looked curious again. "What was that?"

"I should always pray to god. As long as I do, me, and everyone I care about will be blessed with his protection." Danny explained. "I've been praying for him to help us get through this nightmare alive."

He looked over at the former marine, adding, "I'd like to think that all four of us surviving and making it this far is a result of those prayers."

Billy smiled a little, "Well, keep at it then. Because I think it's working."

Danny also smiled, and slowly got back to his feet. "Well, we better go, before Rebecca and Bryan start to worry about us."

Before either of them could move however, a loud high-pitched roar stopped them in their tracks.

"What the fuck was that?!" Danny shouted in surprise as the two looked around for the source of the roar.

Following the sound of beating wings, it didn't take them long to look up and see a large bat fly through a hole in the ceiling towards them.

Danny fell back and pointed at it. "THAT'S A FUCKING BAT!"

Billy reached for his gun but the large bat quickly swooped down towards him and knocked him off his feet.

"BILLY!" Danny attempted to run over to the former marines side but was stopped halfway when the large bat swooped down, and easily sent him flying into the wall, hitting his head on it before falling to the floor.

The former marine looked over as Danny cried in pain and once more reached for his magnum, only to find it missing.

He quickly looked around for it and saw it under one of the seats, realising it must have fell and slid under when the bat attacked him.

The large bat squealed and swooped down towards Danny who was struggling back to his feet on shaky legs, and knocked the young teen down on his back again.

Except this time, the large bat grabbed onto him as it knocked him down and tried to bite him, forcing Danny to try and push it back. "BILLY! HELP!"

Billy quickly ran towards the seat his magnum was under and tried to reach for it. "Come on!"

Danny moved both of his hands to the large bats chest and pushed it away as it once again tried to lunge in at him with its teeth.

While he wasn't exactly weak physically, Danny was still feeling dazed after hitting his head against the wall, and the large bat was clearly a lot stronger than it looked, getting closer to biting him as it pulled away and lunged in each time.

"BILLY! I CAN'T HOLD IT OFF MUCH LONGER!" Danny screamed as the bats teeth got closer and closer to the young teens face.

The former marine growled as he struggled to reach for the magnum.

Eventually though, after pushing himself enough, he finally managed to grab the weapon.

Again, Danny screamed, "BILLY!"

Billy jumped back to his feet and swiftly turned to aim and shoot.

The magnum went off and the large bat screamed in pain as the bullet tore through its body.

With the bat distracted, Danny quickly sat up and pushed the bat off of him before crawling away.

Billy approached as the large bat squirmed about on the floor in pain and fired the magnum once more.

The bullet ripped right through its wing and continued to squeal in pain.

Not taking any chances, Billy fired the magnum again as he closed in towards the large bat, and as he reached it, pinned it under his foot before aiming at its head and pulling the trigger one more time.

The large bat ceased to move almost instantly after the final shot.

* * *

 **Church**

 **'Rebecca, Bryan'**

Back outside, Rebecca and Bryan were both slamming their fists against the church doors when they heard Danny screaming for help, followed by the sound of gunfire.

It was only after everything went quiet that they stopped hitting the entrance and backed away from it, exchanging concerned and worried looks.

"BILLY? DANNY?" Rebecca called out, waiting, hoping for a response.

Just as Bryan was about to go and use the switch inside the bell tower, after just remembering it, the church doors opened.

Billy slowly made his way outside, helping Danny who had a hand over his head.

Rebecca approached, looking very concerned. "What happened? Are you okay?" She asked Danny.

Danny took his hand away and showed her the bleeding mark on his head. "Other than the massive headache I'm about to have later, yeah I'm fine."

"Hold on, I'll take care of that." Rebecca replied before opening up her medical kit.

Bryan made his way back over and asked Billy, "What attacked you? We heard something but didn't see any zombies or monkeys or anything."

Billy tilted his head towards the entrance that he left open, letting Bryan take a look inside where the large dead bat was. "What the...is that a bat?"

"It's a dead bat now." Billy replied as he checked his ammo.

Rebecca rolled her eyes at his comment and checked Danny's injury.

Whatever he hit his head against cut it open a little, and there was a thin line of blood sliding down the side of his face.

The STARS medic focused on wiping the blood away first, then got to work on covering the injury up, wrapping a bandage around his forehead area and covering the cut completely to prevent any further loss of blood.

Once Rebecca was done, Danny gave her a little nod. "Thanks Rebecca."

Rebecca smiled at him as she put her medical kit away. "Just doing my job. Wouldn't be much of a medic if I didn't tend to anyone's injuries."

Danny chuckled, "Yeah, you're right there."

"Just try and avoid getting hurt next time." Rebecca replied as she stood up. "My medical supplies are limited after all."

A salute, and Danny said, "Roger that."

Bryan looked at his friend for a moment, then turned to Billy and asked, "Where to now?"

Billy shrugged and gestured to the left of the church, "We haven't checked around the side yet."

Just as Bryan was about to do so, Billy stopped him, adding, "I'll check the side, you stay here."

The former marine raised his gun as he made his way around the side of the church before anyone could protest.

As they waited for Billy to return, Danny decided to check his guitar, which, to his relief, was undamaged.

"It's in a guitar case Danny, I think that'll protect it from taking any damage." Bryan said.

Danny shook his head however, replying, "Famous last words Bryan. You never know what might happen."

Bryan was about to reply, but stopped, realising his friend had a point. Besides zombies and monkeys, they had been attacked by a giant scorpion, a giant centipede and now a giant bat. What could possibly be next?

Rebecca then spoke up, "How's your knee holding up Bryan?"

"Oh, um, well it's a lot better than it was earlier that's for sure." Bryan replied. "There's still a little aching pain, but it won't slow me down at this point."

The STARS medic nodded. "Good to know. Just checking to make sure."

Bryan smiled a little at her concern.

"Something on your mind?" Rebecca asked, noticing his smile.

The young teen quickly shook his head and replied, "N-No, nothing! Just, um...just thinking about, funny stuff."

"Oh?" Rebecca leaned in a little with a curious smile, asking, "What kind of funny stuff are you thinking about exactly?"

Bryan started to get nervous and looked over slightly at Danny for support, but the Rockstar just waved his hand and shook his head obviously making it clear he didn't want any involvement.

Again, Bryan looked back at the smiling STARS medic as she eagerly waited for his response.

"Um...well, you see, I was...just thinking about..." Bryan mentally cursed at himself for not being able to come up with a somewhat decent reply.

Fortunately for him, Billy had returned and interrupted them. "There's an elevator around the side. It wasn't working at first but I checked behind the church and found a switch that activated the power."

Rebecca didn't press her conversation with Bryan any further, and was the first to turn and reply to Billy. "An elevator? Where does it lead?"

Billy shrugged. "I don't know, I didn't check yet."

"Well, it's better than nothing I guess." Rebecca said before checking her handgun. She then led the way around the church and towards the elevator Billy found.

When the four survivors reached the elevator and opened it, Danny spoke up, "Well, this already looks like a bad idea. Hey Billy, do you want to make another bet?"

The former marine replied while keeping his eyes on the elevator, "No thanks. I've lost enough bets for one night."

Danny grinned, "Aha! So you admit I was right all along those last few times?"

Billy checked his magnum one more time before following Rebecca into the elevator. "I didn't say that."

"Hey gimme a break man!" The Rockstar replied and then turned to his friend. "Hey Bryan, come on, back me up here."

Bryan however, clearly remembering when he needed Danny's help a moment ago, decided to shake his head in response, and replied, "Oh I'm sorry, last I checked, you had to give help before you received it."

As Bryan made his way into the elevator next, Danny shrugged and muttered to himself. "Ok, I guess I brought that on myself."

Rebecca rolled her eyes and said to the Rockstar, "Feel free to get into the elevator any time now Danny."

"Oh...sorry." Danny replied before making his way into the elevator, standing next to Billy.

With all four of them now inside, Rebecca pressed the switch and the elevator doors closed behind them.

As the elevator started to descend, Danny spoke up. "...A little cramped isn't it?"

* * *

 **Raccoon City**

 **At the same time...**

It almost surprised Scott at how well Andrew was taking his story.

Of course, that didn't mean Andrew's reaction was the same as when he first heard Scott and Alex talk about it.

This time, he was slightly surprised and shocked, but he didn't freak out or lash out at the former marine like Alex had earlier.

"Ok, I understand now." Andrew said.

Scott sat up a little, brow raised as he asked, "That it? You not got anything else to say?"

Andrew shrugged, "Not really. Except be careful. If the police catch you, you're finished Scott, and we won't be able to do anything to help you."

A nod, and Scott replied, "Got it."

"Do you need any help with this though? It might make it easier if you have someone watching your back." Andrew said.

Alex looked at his friend, shocked that Andrew of all people would even consider offering to help out with such a thing. "Andrew, you're kidding right?"

Andrew yawned, and replied, "Not really. I just don't want Scott to get caught and arrested. If there's anything I can do to help prevent that, of course I'm going to lend a hand."

"Eh, fair enough." Alex said before looking back at Scott. "So what can we do to help?"

Scott waved a hand at them, replying, "Nothing. It's too risky for you guys."

Andrew raised a brow at him. "And it isn't for you?"

"It's personal for me." Scott said with a frown. "Besides, when it comes down to it, it can only be me. It has to be me."

Alex sighed, replying, "Fine, but, I'm going." When Scott looked at him, he added, "You're gonna need someone to drive you there and back, just in case. Better me than the others."

"Why? What's wrong with me?" Andrew asked.

Alex faced him, and said, "Well, one, you've got a promising career ahead of you, and you cannot afford to fuck that up. Two, you're nineteen years old and have a long life ahead of you and three, I have much less to lose if I end up getting caught with him."

Andrew smiled a little. "Ok, now let me counter your arguments with a few points of my own. One, you're about to start teaching at Mauy Thai Boxing school which has been a sort of dream job for you, and you can't afford to lose that when you're so close to it now. Two, you're only a few years older than me, twenty-two coming up on twenty-three to be exact, you have just as much of a long life ahead of you as I do, and three, well, you have just as much to lose as I do too."

Scott just stared in silence as the two continued to debate. It was only after he stood up from the sofa that the two stopped and looked at him.

He stretched his arms and yawned a little, then pointed a finger at Alex. "You come with me then Alex." He then turned to Andrew, adding, "You stay in the house Andrew."

There was almost a look of disappointment on his face, but Andrew decided to just accept defeat and nodded. "Ok, fine. Just remember..."

"Be careful. We know." Alex said. He was quiet for a moment, and then proceeded to ask, "Andrew, are Jamie and Connor still asleep?"

Andrew shrugged. "I don't know, probably?"

Alex looked over at him and added, "Listen, if they wake up in the middle of the night and we're not back, I want you to tell them everything that Scott said."

"Ok. But why?" Andrew asked.

Glancing at Scott for a moment, Alex then said, "Because if we get caught, and we get arrested, they at least deserve to know what happened."

Scott managed to hold back a chuckle and looked at the table in front of him. "Not exactly inspiring confidence right now Alex."

Alex glared at him. "I'm not trying to sound negative or anything, I'm just being realistic. But you can damn well bet that I'll be doing everything I can to make sure we come back safe and sound."

Andrew nodded, replying, "That's all we can really ask for Alex. Both of you just, try your best to make it back safe, without getting caught of course."

* * *

Deciding that he had rested up enough, Scott retrieved his jacket and wasted no time leaving the house to get into the car.

Alex exchanged a fist bump with Andrew before making his way into the car also, he then took a moment to search for his keys.

Scott just gave Andrew a little wave, the latter returning it with a little wave of his own before heading back into the house, closing the door behind him.

Before he started up the car, Alex took a deep breath and asked, "Are you sure you want to do this Scott?"

The former marine continued to look ahead, a calm frown on his face as he quietly replied, "...I don't want to do this Alex. I have to."

"...Ok. I understand." Alex replied, willingly accepting Scott's answer, knowing he had no intention of changing his mind. "Buckle up." Alex added as he started up the car.

Once the two had fastened their seat belts, they drove off.

As they left, the mysterious figure watching from the car across the street opened his car door and stepped outside.

"About time they fucking left." He said as he skilfully twirled a revolver around his finger.

Looking over at the house, he added, "I was hoping to get him alone, but since Scott's with him, well, guess that means I'm going with option number two."

The mysterious figure adjusted his sunglasses and slowly started making his way towards the house.

He stopped upon reaching a flickering street light, which illuminated him just enough to make out his dark red trench coat.

He then looked in the direction Alex and Scott drove off, and quietly spoke...

"Alex, it's time to settle old scores."

* * *

 **Authors Notes: **This took a little longer than I wanted it to but it's kinda difficult to write when you're lacking interest. ** **Anyway, I'll keep this short. Hopefully the next chapter will get done quicker.********

 ** **As usual, please Review, the feedback is really appreciated and encourages me to keep going.****


	10. Leech Attack

**I know this is late but Happy New Year! Long story short, I wanted to take a little break to focus on another story that would possibly help me get back into the writing mood, which it did, so here I am again. This chapter is shorter than usual but there's still a few important scenes in it.**

 **Also, the bat fight in the last chapter was done quick for various reasons, obviously one being to save time and allow the survivors to move on. Besides I'm pretty sure a few magnum rounds would be more than enough to take that thing down especially when the weapon is being used by a skilled marine like Billy Coen. Don't be surprised that things seem clearly rushed in this chapter. At this point if I cut a few things to progress the story, and work on it, then I should be able to finish it at some point soon.  
**

 **Also, Resident Evil 2 Remake is just a few mere weeks away, so we've also got that to look forward to.**

 **Disclaimer: Resident Evil and its characters belong to Capcom obviously, any Original characters in this story belong to me.**

* * *

 ** ** ** ** ** **Chapter 10:  
 ** ** ** ** ** **  
 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **'Leech Attack'********************************************

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **Church Laboratory********************************************

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **'Rebecca, Billy, Bryan, Danny'************************************************************************************************************************************

The area the four survivors found themselves in upon exiting the elevator wasn't what they expected.

While the small passage looked like just another room in the church, it didn't escape their notice that the walls were cracked left and right.

Of course, the most noticeable thing that stood out was the large pile of rubble that was blocking the stairway just before the only door in the passage.

Everything looked old, and it was dead quiet, it was almost as if no one had been through here for a long time now.

Since the door at the end of the short passage was their only way of moving forward, the four survivors continued on their way and entered, keeping their weapons ready just in case.

The four survivors entered what looked like a small library, and Billy decided to make sure the room was safe by moving on ahead of them to make sure nothing was waiting around the corners.

Rebecca stayed back with Bryan and Danny behind her, keeping her gun raised as she scanned the room for anything that was out of place.

The sound of a gunshot caught them off guard and the three rushed over to the other end of the room.

When they made it around the corner, they saw Billy standing over a dead body that was slumped against the wall.

"What happened?" Rebecca asked.

Billy looked back at her and gestured towards the dead body. "Just making sure none of these guys get back up."

Danny let out a relieved sigh, then replied, "Ok, dude, seriously, don't do that without warning us first. It's really quiet and that gunshot nearly gave me a heart attack."

The former marine chuckled a little, "My bad. I'll make sure I give you a heads up next time."

"Speaking of heads up..." Bryan said before pointing to the ceiling.

When they looked over at where he was pointing, they saw a large hole in the ceiling, and the room above it.

Billy looked back and asked, "Do we still have that hookshot?"

Danny put down the large bag of weapons and ammo and started digging through it.

Once he found the hookshot, he took it out.

However, the hook ended up catching onto something, and Danny had to forcefully pull it a little more.

When it still refused to budge, Danny grit his teeth and started to growl a little when he pulled again but to no avail.

Rebecca struggled to hold back a laugh as she approached and gently pushed him aside, "Here Danny, let me."

The Rockstar stepped aside with an annoyed frown and watched as Rebecca moved a few things out of the way before easily taking the hookshot out of the bag. "Ta-da!"

Danny shrugged and waved her off. "Whatever."

Rebecca made her way over until she was under the hole in the ceiling. "I'll go up and check it out."

"Are you sure that's a good idea Rebecca?" Bryan asked, looking really concerned. "Maybe it would be a good idea if one of us went with you."

Danny was the first to volunteer. "I'll go! I've always wanted to try out those hookshot things. Like the spies that used them in the movies."

When Rebecca looked over at Billy, he just shrugged. "Ok." The STARS medic replied, "I'll pass it down once I've made it up."

"Roger that." Danny said with a salute.

Rebecca just rolled her eyes with an amused smirk before using the hookshot to pull herself up through the hole and into the room above.

After she made it up, she passed the hookshot back down, dropping it from above.

Danny caught it and didn't waste any time, but before using it, he stopped and looked over at Billy, and asked, "...How do I use this again?"

Billy and Bryan facepalmed.

* * *

 **10 Minutes Later...**

"Ok I think I got it!" Danny said as the hookshot began pulling him up through the hole and into the room above.

Billy just shook his head, feeling a migraine coming on. "I can't believe it took like five to ten minutes just to get him to learn how to use it. It's so easy!"

Bryan was doing his best to hold back his laughter, and replied, "Well, if I'm being honest, we tend to be slow learners sometimes, depending on what it is."

The former marine just raised a brow at him.

"A-Anyway..." The young teen decided to change the subject. "What are we going to do while they're up there?"

Billy just sat down on an old chair and put his feet up on the desk next to it. "Sit back and relax."

Bryan was surprised by the former marines answer, and replied, "What? But we can't just do nothing while they-"

"Relax Bryan." Billy interrupted him, adding, "There's literally nothing we can do right now. All we can do is sit here and wait until Rebecca contacts us over the radio to let us know if she finds something."

Bryan stared at him for a moment, and then replied, "...You think there's a secret passage down here, don't you?"

Billy grinned and failed to hold back his chuckle. "Don't tell Danny."

* * *

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **Church Laboratory********************************************

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **'Rebecca, Danny'************************************************************************************************************************************

Rebecca and Danny weren't all that surprised to find the room they entered was a laboratory.

Given everything they had been through so far, there wasn't really anything at this point that could surprise them, though Danny was mentally warning himself over and over that he probably hasn't seen everything yet, and that there just might be some surprises left in store for them.

Of course, he didn't want that to be the case, but he had to be a little realistic right now. Considering what they've encountered so far, anything could happen and surprise them, so he knew he had to be cautious so that nothing could catch them off guard.

There was nothing much worth checking out in the small laboratory so the two exited through the door at the other end of the room and entered the corridor.

A switch was before them, next to a stone railing that was overlooking the passage where the four of them first entered.

Suspicious of the switch, Danny pressed it merely thinking it may open up a secret path, as recent experiences have often shown him.

Indeed, the wall directly below them ascended and blocked their view, but below, was a new path.

A moment went by, and Rebecca waited, looking at Danny a little disapprovingly, before Billy's voice came from the radio.

 _"Was that you guys that opened up this secret passage?"_

Danny gave Rebecca a rather smartass grin.

The STARS medic just rolled her eyes and replied into the radio, "That was us. Take a look and see what you can find. We'll keep searching up here."

* * *

 **Elevator Passage**

 **'Billy, Bryan'**

"Got it. Let us know if you find anything." Billy responded before putting the radio away.

With Billy leading, the two slowly made their way through the secret passage.

There were two doors, but rather than go through the first one, the two went through the large blue door at the end of the passage, mainly out of curiosity.

The room they entered appeared to be Marcus's Study, judging by the desk, the books and just all of the other various things that pointed out the rooms owner.

"I'll check the desk." Bryan said, making his way to the desk before looking through it.

Billy decided to check the bookcases, as he was actually following Danny's example this time by simply, looking carefully and checking every nook and cranny.

During their search, it was faint, but they could still hear gunshots from above, confirming that Rebecca and Danny had encountered another zombie problem.

Billy was going to contact them with the radio to make sure they were okay, but Danny had beat him to it, his voice from the radio informing them that they were still alive and well.

Relieved, he returned to looking over the bookcase.

As he looked, something on the bookcase caught his eye.

He picked it up, identifying it as a regulator coil for some device. Whatever it was for, it must have been important.

Then, another thing caught his eye.

An old photograph.

On the photograph appeared to be a number of graduates.

Among them, was the young man.

The same cloaked young man whom they saw back at the train.

Billy turned the photo, and saw something written on the back.

 _ **'To James,**_

 _ **To commemorate**_

 _ **your Graduation, 1939'**_

As he looked it over again, Bryan approached.

"What did you find?" He asked.

Billy said nothing, and instead handed him the photo.

Bryan looked at it, trying to see if there was anything off, but didn't seem to find anything that stuck out in the photo. "Nineteen thirty-nine..." He said to himself.

"Judging from the age, that guy could be Marcus' son. Or grandson." Billy said.

The young teen looked up at him for a second before asking, "You say that as if you're familiar with him Billy."

Billy nodded. "Kinda. That guy is the same cloaked guy on the hill that Rebecca was talking about before."

Bryan then looked at the old photograph in shock. "Him?! He's the one responsible for all of this?!"

"I'm not a hundred percent sure but, it's very possible." Billy replied.

In response, Bryan frowned silently, and tightened his grip on the photograph, crushing it in his hand.

Once it was crumpled into a ball, he dropped it.

"If he's the one responsible for all of this, for Kyle's death, he will pay. I swear, I will make him pay for what he's done." Bryan said quietly.

Billy then patted his shoulder. "You don't have to do anything. Just leave everything to me, that's why I'm here."

When Bryan looked back at him, Billy added, "You're still young. And I've already got blood on my hands, so if it comes down to it, I'll pull the trigger on that son of a bitch myself."

"He's the reason my friend is dead Billy. This is personal." Bryan said, not willing to let it go so easily.

The former marine shook his head and sighed. "Look, we'll talk about this later..."

Before he could continue, Danny's voice came from the radio.

 _"Yo guys! We just found an aerial cable car! We found a couple of pieces to get it up and running but I think it's still missing a piece! You find anything down there?"_

Billy looked down at the radio for a second before saying to Bryan, "Right now, let's just focus on one thing at a time."

He took the radio and replied, "I think we've got what you're looking for. We're on our way."

Once he put the radio away, he turned to Bryan and gestured towards the door. "Come on, let's go."

As Billy walked away, Bryan cast a glance down at the crumpled photograph, glaring at it once more before following the former marine.

* * *

 **Raccoon City**

 **At the same time...**

Alex stopped the car in front of a pair of gates on an isolated street that was more quieter than usual.

Behind the gates was a pathway that led up to a small mansion.

There was only a small number of houses across the street, which meant that if things did go loud, not as many people were likely to hear the commotion that was likely about to begin.

"We're here." Alex said.

Scott wasted no time and unbuckled his seatbelt before stepping out of the car.

Alex followed and exited the car to go after him. "Scott, are-"

"I'm positive." Scott interrupted him almost immediately, before looking his friend in the eye. "Trust me, this has to be done."

Alex sighed and both looked over at the mansion just up ahead. "The lights are on, so he's still awake. What's your plan?"

Scott didn't take his eyes off the mansion, quietly replying, "Go right through the front door. No sneaky bullshit, I'm just going right in where he can expect me."

"Not exactly subtle." Alex raised a brow at him.

Scott held back a chuckle and circled around the car.

However, something at the corner of his eye caught his attention.

When he looked, he turned back to Alex with a raised brow, and replied, "Someone's being subtle tonight though."

Alex narrowed his eyes, looking at him confused now.

When Scott gestured to the trunk of the car, Alex approached to take a look.

Something was written in red on the trunk of the car.

All it said was...

 ** _'Me and You. One on one.'_**

It took only a brief moment before Alex realised, and when he did, he instantly knew.

"Matt." He said quietly with a subtle growl in his tone.

Scott almost smirked at the message. "Persistent bastard. He's determined, I'll give him that."

Alex sighed, "The last time was like, what, three months ago, was it?"

"Yeah. You almost didn't walk away from that one too." Scott said, glaring at him. "You better not let him beat you."

Alex recoiled, looking at him in surprise. "What do you mean? I'm here to give you a hand, I'm not just gonna-"

The former marine held up a hand, silencing him. "Where do you think he is right now?"

When Alex didn't answer, Scott added, "When was the only time we weren't watching the car tonight?"

"When we were in the...house." Alex said, the answer suddenly coming to him.

Scott looked at him again, and said, "The guys are gonna be in trouble. Matt is gonna use them to push you into fighting him. If you don't go, he might do something far more worse than the things he's already done before to provoke you."

Alex clenched his fists, trying to hold back his anger.

His friend then placed a hand on his shoulder, adding, "Relax, I'll handle things here. Don't worry about me."

"But if you get caught..." Alex started, but was unable to finish the sentence.

Scott just stared at him with a calm but determined look in his eye, and simply said, "I won't."

With that, the former marine opened the gates and started making his way towards the mansion ahead.

Alex watched him walk away, still hesitant to let his friend do this on his own, but ultimately relented.

He glanced once more at the message on the trunk of the car before getting in.

After buckling up, he drove off.

* * *

 **Cable Car**

 **'Rebecca, Billy, Bryan, Danny'**

Once the group had met up again, they wasted little time using the input regulator coil to finally start up the cable car.

As they went about finishing things up, Danny told Billy and Bryan about a couple of reptile-like monsters with large claws he and Rebecca stumbled upon.

Thankfully the monsters were in cages, so they didn't have to waste the ammo on them, but still, seeing them and those massive claws made Danny shiver.

Ready to go, the group gathered at the cable car.

Billy approached the railing at the end to get a look at where the cable car would go.

But as he looked...

"BILLY!"

The former marine turned around just in time as a monkey leaped down from the cable car and landed on top of him.

Despite the struggle, he stopped it from biting and scratching him, but the unexpected attack had forced him against the railing and, due to the struggle, caused him to fall over.

"BILLY!" Bryan shouted as he and the others sprinted to the railing, but they were already too late.

They looked, but Billy was nowhere to be seen.

Before they could react to the unexpected attack, a sound from behind caught their attention.

All three of them turned and found themselves face to face with another leech monster.

"SHIT!" Danny jumped to the side almost immediately.

The other two were not so lucky. The leech monster had stretched out its arm and swung it at Rebecca, but Bryan put himself in front of the STARS medic and took the hit instead.

Rebecca watched as he got smacked aside and hit the wall, before quickly pulling out her gun and firing it at the leech monster.

Danny eyed something in the corner and made a run for it while the monster was distracted.

The STARS medics bullets didn't seem to have any effect however, the creature still limping towards her unfazed.

As she went to reload her weapon, the leech monster stretched its arm out and pinned her against the railing.

Rebecca's eyes widened in shock as it inched towards her, killing intent clear in its movement.

Before it could take another step though, Bryan jumped forward and kicked the monster in the side, forcing it to let go of the STARS medic.

The young teen then ran to Rebecca's side, placing his hands on her shoulders as he looked at her with concern. "Are you okay?"

"I...y-yes...what about you?" Rebecca stuttered.

Before Bryan could respond, he saw the STARS medic look ahead, and he turned around just in time to see the leech monster continue towards them.

He didn't move though, he stayed where he was, keeping himself protectively between Rebecca and the leech monster.

As it closed in on them, Bryan looked ahead and saw Danny approaching with something in his hands.

Rebecca could see it too, and quickly grabbed Bryan, pulling him to the side before shielding him with her body just before Danny threw the object at the leech monster.

Flames exploded around the monster, causing it to screech out in pain.

"Fucking burn you son of a bitch!" Danny shouted as he prepared to throw another Molotov cocktail.

Rebecca grit her teeth in response to the heat she could feel at her back, but remained where she was, holding Bryan protectively in her arms despite his previous attempt to protect her.

The leech monster turned and started towards Danny.

But the Rockstar had plenty of room to move than the others did and quickly backed away before throwing the other Molotov at the monster.

Again, fire exploded all around the monster and it screeched out in response to the burning flames.

"DIE ALREADY!" Danny shouted.

Finally, the leech monster succumbed to the Molotovs and fell to burning pieces.

A long brief moment of silence went by, and Danny didn't move until he watched the remains of the leech monster burn to nothing.

Once it was very clear the monster was dead, he turned and made his way over to the others. "Are you guys okay?"

Rebecca slowly stood back up, helping Bryan back up to his feet as well.

The two looked at each other for a long moment, thinking about everything they had been through tonight, thinking about all of the monsters they had come across.

And thinking about how one had protected or tried to protect the other whenever one was in danger.

It was so quiet now that Rebecca swore she could almost hear her heart beating, rather quickly, faster than usual in fact.

"Uh, guys?"

Danny's voice broke them out of their thoughts however, and Bryan was the first to pull away. "L-Let's get out of here." He said.

The young teen picked up their bag of ammo and hurried into the cable car, not sparing the STARS medic a single glance.

Not willing to stay any longer, Danny also picked up what he could and entered the cable car, but unlike Bryan, he actually glanced at Rebecca, giving her an unreadable look.

Rebecca held a hand to her heart, feeling her heartbeat, which had returned to normal.

Despite the relief she felt that they survived another encounter, she was still worried.

She looked back at the railing where Billy fell, and silently prayed that he survived before following the others into the cable car.

* * *

 **Raccoon City**

 **At the same time...**

Scott took a deep breath as he looked the mansion doors up and down.

This was it.

There was no turning back now.

He slowly lifted his hand and rang the door bell.

A long silence went by, and it was silence that, for a moment, almost, ALMOST, made him nervous.

But he mentally punched that rising feeling aside, knowing he couldn't afford to let his emotions hold him back.

The door opened, and standing in the doorway was a man in his late forties, just a head taller than Scott. He had rough and square features, much like Scott, in fact, he greatly resembled Scott, sharing the same cold blue eyes as him. His facial hair was trimmed just enough that it was almost visible, and he had a crew cut hairstyle of tidy brown hair.

Despite wearing a rich looking bathrobe, it was easy to tell he was quite fit looking, as one would expect from someone of the United States Marine Corps.

"Scott?" The man said in a low voice, his tone filled with a hint of confusion.

Scott straightened himself, replying, "Pop."

* * *

 **Authors Notes: And I think I'll just leave it there for now. I was originally planning on going a little further but I figured it would probably be better to keep readers guessing, if any of you still read this story of course. As to what Scott's going to do, well that's for the next chapter to explain and hopefully it won't take me as long to write as this one did. If things go the way I want them to, I should definitely have this story finished, hopefully by Chapter 15, which would mean 5 more Chapters remaining.**

 **But that also means I might have to try and fit in as much as I can here and there to make sure each Chapter has at least enough worth reading, for whoever still reads this story. On that note, I will say that since I've gotten some motivation again, I intend to try and finish this story as soon as possible, and when I do, hopefully I do, I will be taking some time off to focus on another story that I'm more motivated to write at the moment. But I have an, idea, you could say, that will allow everyone to 'share' the story, so to speak. I don't want to waste any more word space with notes so I'll explain my 'idea' in a later chapter. Consider the remaining Chapters, The Big Five, the Last Phase of Enduring the Evil 0 because that's where things finally come full circle, somewhat.**

 **Anyway, as usual, please Review, the feedback is appreciated and encourages me to keep writing.**


	11. The Captain

**First off, apologies for the unsurprisingly long wait, quite a few things came up unexpectedly followed by more unexpected events, that were then followed up by more unexpected events. Coupled together with getting back to work recently and being too stressed out and tired a lot, and just wanting to chill and relax after a hard days work, and dealing with some really important family issues, I have had very little to no time to write.  
**

 **I would like to say real quick, that this story didn't exactly get the, views, that I was hoping it would receive. But** **I'm not going to let a lack of readers discourage me from finishing this story though. Not when I'm so close to finishing it now and especially after taking like five years to get back and finish the last one. I fully intend to finish this story and I will.**

 **That said, I'm not fully certain that there's enough activity in the Resident Evil Archive and it has me thinking about holding off on starting the REwrite of Enduring the Evil for the time being. As unfair as that may sound, I just don't want to start writing another story if there's not going to be anyone around to read it.**

 **Plus, there's the very high possibility that Resident Evil will be getting remade, like 3 is rumoured to be, so I'm either going to wait and see how those will turn out, or I'll just continue as normal and simply end up using a mix of the originals, remakes and Chronicles games.**

 **Disclaimer: Resident Evil and its characters belong to Capcom obviously, any Original characters in this story belong to me.**

* * *

 ** ** ** ** ** **Chapter 11:  
 ** ** ** ** ** **  
 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **'The Captain'********************************************

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **Cable Car********************************************

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **'Rebecca, Bryan, Danny'************************************************************************************************************************************

The three survivors were quiet the entire time as the cable car took them to their destination.

With the exception of Rebecca suggesting that the two civilians take the time to rest during the ride, no one said a word.

Although they had no intention of going to sleep until they were absolutely sure the dead body in the cable car wouldn't come back. Rebecca, of course, had to work up the courage to deal with the issue, and thankfully the dead body didn't come back, making it easier for her to keep it that way after stabbing its head with her knife.

With that issue dealt with, neither of the civilians were going to protest against getting some sleep, so they did just that, Danny being the first, while Bryan took a little longer, glancing a few times at Rebecca before finally letting himself fall asleep.

During the ride, Rebecca thought about Billy, and hoped very much that he was still alive.

Without Billy, they were far more vulnerable.

And as much as she didn't want to accept it, they were weaker too.

The former marine was the only reason that all three of them were still alive, and now that he wasn't with them, their chances of making it out alive had decreased dramatically.

Not only did Rebecca lose her confidence due to Billy's absence, but she was far more afraid now.

She was afraid, because now she had only herself to rely on to protect the two civilians that she was obligated to protect.

Without Billy, the STARS medic was afraid that both survivors would simply end up dead mainly due to her rookie experience not being enough to protect them, and the thought of it terrified her to no end.

Terrified of failure.

With Billy gone, all of the pressure was on Rebecca's shoulders now, and she wasn't sure she could handle it.

Breaking out of her thoughts, Rebecca decided to look out the window to see if they were about to reach their destination.

Indeed, the cable car was closing in on the platform of a factory just up ahead, prompting Rebecca to wake the two civilians from their rest.

"Hey, Bryan, Danny. We're here." Rebecca said, not too loud, but loud enough that they'd hear her.

Danny was the first to turn over, quietly replying, "And where exactly is 'here'?"

The STARS medic shrugged. "I don't know. Some sort of factory I think."

Despite not wanting to get up from his slightly comfortable rest, Danny reluctantly did so, as did Bryan, who was a little quicker to get to his feet than his friend.

"Did you not get any rest at all?" Danny asked, brow raised.

Bryan shook his head, replying, "I tried to. But after everything we've been through tonight, how can I?"

His friend was going to respond, but stopped, realising the point he was making. "Yeah, I suppose that's true."

Rebecca decided against saying anything.

Considering how depressing the mood already was, the STARS medic didn't want to make it any worse.

Opening the cable car door, Rebecca gestured to the outside, and said, "Are you two ready to go?"

Danny nodded, walking by her and exiting the cable car.

As Bryan approached, he noticed the dead body they worried about earlier holding a magnum in its hand.

Figuring they'd need everything they can get, Bryan decided to take the magnum before exiting the cable car.

This didn't escape Rebecca's notice, who stared at Bryan curiously, prompting him to ask, "What?"

"You really think you can handle that?" The STARS medic asked, adding, "Don't take this the wrong way, but you still haven't gotten used to a handgun."

Bryan looked at the magnum in his hand, examining it for a moment, before asking, "It's only slightly bigger than a handgun. It can't be any different, can it?"

Rebecca shook her head, and replied, "It's completely different. If you're not trained and prepared to use powerful firearms, the recoil may end up throwing you off your feet. Or worse."

Her response surprised him for a moment, and Danny, who was just admiring his guitar, couldn't help but comment, "Wow, that's exactly what Scott said once."

"Even so..." Bryan replied, looking back at Rebecca. "I can handle it, and I'll be careful when using it. Promise."

The STARS medic was going to protest, but ultimately decided against it.

If he was going to learn how to use a gun to defend himself, she had to stop being overprotective and let him learn how to use it, even if there was a risk. It was still a risk that she didn't want to take, but she couldn't force him, and she wasn't going to.

Turning away, she gestured towards the stairs up ahead, replying, "Let's move then. And remember..."

"Be careful." Bryan and Danny responded in perfect unison, knowing full well what the STARS medic was going to say.

Rebecca just rolled her eyes a little, almost chuckling at their response before walking on, leading the way.

The two civilians followed close behind, hoping and praying that they wouldn't run into any more zombies.

* * *

 **Raccoon City**

 **At the same time...**

When Alex had returned to the house, he expected the worst.

He expected to see Matt holding his friends at gunpoint, in some cowardly way to provoke him into fighting him.

Or, he expected to see the door kicked down, the window smashed or the fence run over.

Something to reflect Matt's destructive nature.

Instead, when Alex pulled over in front of the house, he saw Matt leaning against the fence, twirling a revolver around his finger.

"About time you showed up."

Alex was a little surprised by Matt's casual tone, considering he was always aggressive every other time they met.

Before he replied, Alex eyed the front door to the house.

As if Matt could read his mind, he spoke again, telling him, "Relax. I didn't bust in at all. I've been outside the entire time."

"That's a surprise coming from the guy with a guns blazing attitude." Alex replied with a frown.

Matt chuckled and stopped twirling the revolver, leaning off of the fence to turn and face Alex.

He was around twenty-two years old, the same age as Alex, and despite his slightly average build, just as fit looking too, perhaps even more.

Despite the punk attitude he had, he was surprisingly good looking, sharp facial features and all. He had short dark brown hair, spiked up by hair gel to make himself look more stylish, and he was just half a head shorter than Alex.

Other than his dark red trench coat and his sunglasses, the rest of his attire wasn't as stylish. He was wearing a plain black shirt, along with black cargo trousers and black combat boots.

Pretty much the only thing stopping him from looking like the ordinary street punk was the stylish trench coat he was wearing.

"New coat?" Alex asked.

Matt shrugged, casually replying, "Got bored with the last one, figured I'd get something a little better looking."

Alex almost chuckled at the response. "Even though you were always an asshole, you always did have a good eye for style. I'll give you that."

Even though it was a little difficult to make out Matt's expression due to the dim street lights, it was still enough for Alex to notice that Matt didn't react in the slightest to his jab.

Rather than respond, Matt put the revolver into a holster he had strapped around his waist, before turning around and walking away.

Alex recoiled in surprise at the unexpected move, before asking, "What the hell are you-"

"Let's go for a walk." Matt interrupted him, still walking on.

For a moment, Alex was against the idea, but he knew Matt better than most, and he knew he wouldn't take no for an answer.

Instead of making things difficult and refusing, Alex decided to just go along with it and followed.

As the two of them walked away down the street, Andrew watched from inside the house, looking out the window with concern.

* * *

 **Factory**

 **'Rebecca, Bryan, Danny'**

Finding the cable car was a stroke of luck, and the two civilians prayed mentally that luck continued to remain on their side.

Their prayers were answered when they stumbled upon the massive turntable yard.

Even better, the factory key was right there in the control room, which made things a whole lot easier for the survivors.

At first, Bryan expressed concern over whether their current route was leading them to safety or not.

But he eventually relented after Rebecca brought up the point that there was nowhere else for them to go, and at the very least, they hadn't encountered any zombies or monsters yet since they left the cable car.

Despite this, he was still worried, a feeling that was shared by the others.

Nonetheless, they had to keep moving.

Forward was the only way they could go.

After stopping for a moment to search the area for anything of use, only to find nothing but a couple of herbs, Rebecca used the key to activate the turntable platform.

Bryan and Danny jumped in surprise at a loud sound, before relaxing again when they realised it was just the turntable alarm. This didn't stop them however from sending a glare at Rebecca, who chuckled at their reaction.

Soon, the platform began to descend, and the three survivors decided to use the moment to sit down and rest.

And brace themselves for whatever was waiting for them below.

The more each of them thought back on when this nightmare first started for them, the more they wondered how they were still alive, or hadn't gone insane yet.

Even though she was a member of STARS, Rebecca couldn't deny the situation was starting to take its toll on her, physically and mentally. Her training and experience, despite not having trained for situations such as this, was one of the only reasons she was still alive.

For the two of them, luck was the only way to explain how Bryan and Danny were still alive. Of course, they had Rebecca and Billy to thank for still being alive, but other than that, it was all luck.

And both of them were simply dreading when that luck was going to run out.

Before they knew it, the turntable had stopped and they had reached the bottom of the factory.

"I don't even know where the hell we are anymore." Danny said as he looked around.

Bryan also took a moment to examine their surroundings, and replied, "Doesn't look any more promising than the other places we've been in so far."

At the corner of her eye, Rebecca saw a few doors, one an elevator shaft, and decided to investigate.

Knowing what she was thinking, Bryan and Danny followed, both checking the door to the left of the elevator, only to find it locked.

Just as they were about to make their way over to Rebecca, the STARS medic called out to them.

"Stay hidden! Something's coming!"

Hearing the elevator approaching, the two civilians did as they were told and stayed hidden around the corner, while Rebecca hid herself to the side of the elevator doors.

Soon, it stopped, having reached their level, and the elevator doors opened up.

Rebecca braced herself, filled with fear over whatever monstrosity was about to emerge from behind the doors.

That fear was then gone in an instant, replaced with overwhelming relief when a familiar man wearing a STARS uniform exited the elevator.

Captain Enrico.

When the STARS Captain turned his gun on her, Rebecca quickly raised her hands and said, "DON'T SHOOT!"

Enrico lowered his gun, sighing with relief when he realised who he had just found.

"You're alive!" Rebecca added, very glad to see her Captain again.

"Are you okay, Rebecca?" Enrico asked as he put his gun away.

Rebecca was about to respond, but stopped when she looked over and saw Bryan and Danny peeking out from around the corner.

Noticing her looking at something, Enrico followed her gaze and just caught a glimpse of the two civilians, who both quickly retreated behind the corner.

"Who's there?!" Enrico called out, reaching for his weapon.

Rebecca reached out and stopped him before he could draw the gun from its holster, telling him, "Wait sir! They're with me!"

Enrico turned to her again, looking confused now.

The STARS medic then looked over at the corner and called out, "It's ok you two! He's my Captain!"

A few seconds went by before the two civilians emerged from the corner, slowly approaching the two STARS officers, all while giving Enrico a nervous look.

"What's going on here? Who are they Rebecca?" Enrico asked.

Before Rebecca could respond, Danny spoke up. "My names Daniel Bleyker sir, or Danny for short."

"I'm Bryan, H-Hunter, sir." Bryan added nervously.

Enrico looked back and forth between the two civilians, before stopping at Rebecca, asking her once more, "What's going on here Rebecca?"

Just as she was about to respond, Danny once again beat her to it, speaking up before her. "It's a...bit of a long story, sir."

The STARS Captain shrugged, and replied, "May aswell explain. Not as if we're in a hurry right now anyway."

Both Bryan and Danny exchanged looks, then glanced at Rebecca.

Noticing the unsure looks on their faces, Rebecca decided to speak up for them instead. "I'll explain sir. They've been through a lot tonight and the last thing they need is being questioned."

Enrico looked back at her and nodded, "Ok. Let's hear it."

* * *

 **Twenty minutes later...**

Rebecca spent the last twenty minutes explaining everything she and the others had been through tonight, making sure she didn't leave out any details.

She started with the Ecliptic Express, when she first stumbled upon it in the woods.

When she explained everything that happened on the train, she carefully included Billy by simply mentioning that he was there and that she lost him just recently while trying to catch him.

After she said her piece on the train incident, she let Bryan and Danny explain the reason for their presence, and their explanation was not that different from what the two of them told Rebecca when she first met them back on the train.

During their explanation, both of them had nearly broken down into tears at the mention of Kyle's death, and remembering the loss of their friend made it difficult for them to continue.

The STARS medic continued for them however, given they had been with her nearly the entire time, and she finished up their side of the story for them, bringing it up to where they currently were right now.

"I see...sounds like you two have been through a lot tonight." Enrico said as he processed everything they had told him.

"Understatement of the century." Danny said, still trying to recover from nearly breaking down in tears earlier.

Enrico mustered up a half smile, then glanced over at Bryan, the latter who was extremely quiet and looked like he was still struggling to hold back tears.

Approaching him, Enrico patted the young civilian on the shoulder, and said, "Hey, I'm sorry about your friend, but you need to keep your chin up son. The fact that you're alive right now after everything you've been through tonight, tells me just how strong you really are."

Bryan looked up at the STARS Captain, processing his words for a moment before giving his eyes a quick wipe. "S-Sorry, sir."

Enrico smiled a little more, patting the young teens shoulder again, "Hey, don't worry about it."

Rebecca, curious about the rest of her team, decided to speak up again, and asked, "Where is everybody?"

"They should have arrived here before me. Haven't you seen them?" Enrico replied as he looked around.

When Rebecca shook her head in response, Enrico added, "That's unfortunate. If we go straight from here, we should arrive at an old mansion, which Umbrella uses for research. Come on, let's go. You two as well." He said that last part to Bryan and Danny.

Just as the STARS Captain turned to leave, Rebecca stopped him. "Wait! We've gotta find Billy."

"Didn't you say you got separated earlier?" Enrico asked.

Rebecca nodded. "We...we did."

"No point worrying about him. He won't make it. Come on, let's go!" Enrico replied.

The STARS medic was determined to find Billy however, and refused. "Sir, please. I need to find him. Don't worry, I'll catch up with you."

"Rebecca..." Enrico stopped, and sighed. He then looked over at Bryan and Danny, adding, "What about you two? I can't just let two civilians wander around any further without protection."

Bryan mustered up a little confidence when he replied, "We'll be okay, sir. Besides, we already have protection..." He stopped, glancing over at Rebecca with a little smile. "If it wasn't for her, we'd have been dead a while ago."

Rebecca looked away and couldn't help but blush a little at the praise he gave her, and recalled the times when they also helped her.

Danny waved a hand, smirking a little. "Took the words right out of my mouth."

The STARS Captain sighed once more, realising they were standing by their decision. "Alright, just be careful. Promise me."

"Promise." Danny replied with a thumbs up.

Chuckling, Enrico returned his gesture with a thumbs up of his own, before taking out his firearm and telling Rebecca, "I'm counting on you to look after them, Rebecca."

Rebecca, very aware of the responsibility, replied with a firm, "Yes sir!"

With that, Enrico turned and took his leave, parting ways with the three survivors.

As soon as her Captain disappeared from her sight, Rebecca's smile faded.

 _'I never saw him again.'_

* * *

The three survivors had taken a moment to rest up again after the STARS Captain had left.

While a part of them wanted to follow him, they all knew that they couldn't.

They had to find Billy.

For all that the former marine had done for them, they owed him that much.

"Alright, we better move out." Rebecca said after checking her equipment.

Bryan looked over at her, and asked, "Any idea as to where to? That elevator your Captain used doesn't seem to go anywhere."

Rebecca examined their surroundings for a second, then pointed to the opposite side of the turntable platform. "How about over there."

The other side led into a large tunnel that was blocked off by rubble, confusing the two civilians as to why Rebecca was suggesting that way.

It was only when they followed her over to the tunnel did they realise what the STARS medic was pointing at.

When they entered the tunnel, a pair of elevator doors was the first and only thing they set their sights on.

"Another elevator huh?" Danny said as the three of them approached the elevator.

Rebecca looked at the switch beside the elevator and pressed it.

As soon as they heard the sound of the elevator moving, the three survivors started to relax.

"That sound is music to my ears." Bryan said, relieved that the elevator was working.

Danny chuckled, replying, "Yeah. I'm just glad we're making progress without some stupid monster getting in the way for once."

A few seconds after, a piece of rubble fell from the large pile blocking the tunnel, a fragment rolling across the floor and stopping at the feet of the survivors.

The three of them looked at the fragment, then slowly looked up at the pile of rubble, just in time to see someone, something, standing atop the rubble.

What they thought was just a large man at first glance, turned out to be another monster, as if the exposed heart or the absurdly large clawed hands didn't already give it away.

But this monster was different than everything else they had encountered so far.

More human in appearance, but completely pale and bloodied with exposed flesh and veins, and one of the clawed hands was much larger than the other, a long spike protruding from it. The monsters teeth were bared, and its eyes were completely pale and void of any of life, just like the zombies.

The survivors backed away a little as the monster took a step forward, before Rebecca finally said what all three of them were thinking.

"What is that?" The STARS medic asked.

Another step back, and Bryan glanced over at Danny with a frown. "You just had to open your mouth didn't you?"

The Proto Tyrant roared before going on the attack.

* * *

 **Raccoon City**

 **At the same time...**

Scott's hand twitched.

He looked down at it and curled it into a fist, and muttered to himself, "Got an urge to punch something all of a sudden."

Despite the unexpected visit in the middle of the night, Owen, Scott's dad, seemed rather calm, more so than he usually was.

While his dad was away making hot coco for them, Scott had taken the opportunity to look for anything out of the ordinary. Though he wasn't really surprised when he couldn't find anything suspicious or out of place.

Being cautious however, he made sure to take a few precautions before making his way back into the living room just before his dad came back, mugs of hot coco in hand.

"Thanks." Scott said as he took one of the mugs that was handed to him, blowing on it before taking a sip. "Just like how mom used to make it. I take it you've been practicing?"

Owen shrugged as he seated himself, replying, "Pretty much. I know how much you loved the way your mom made things. Figured the least I could do was try and replicate her culinary skills."

A light chuckle, and Scott replied, "No one could ever replicate her cooking. It was that damn good."

"It was." Owen said with a tiny smile before taking a sip of hot coco. "You know, whenever we would plan to go out for a picnic, she would always make a big deal out of, what we would need to bring, what to eat, what to drink, how much of each, even the blankets, the exact time we should have it. With her, everything always had to be perfect."

Scott managed to smile a little at his dad's story.

Owen continued, adding, "No matter how small or important it was, whenever we were gonna have some family activity, she wouldn't settle for anything less than perfection. She wanted to make sure every activity was the best it could possibly be for us, even if she had to stay up every night to make it happen."

"She worked harder than anyone I'd ever met." Scott said, taking a sip of hot coco, before adding, "Even you."

That managed to get a chuckle out of his dad. "Yeah. Yeah, I won't disagree with you there."

Scott didn't make any effort to hide the conflicted look in his eyes, and it didn't take Owen long to notice it. "You still blame me for her leaving don't you?"

"I'm over it." Scott said.

Owen knew his own son better than that however, and wasn't convinced. "See, I know that's bullshit Scott. Cuz not only does the look in your eye say differently, but to this very day, you have never, ever, let me forget about it. And make no mistake, I DO think about it to this very day."

"Good. Better to acknowledge all of your past mistakes and learn from them rather than ignore them." Scott replied before glancing over at his dad. "That's what you always told me. Isn't it?"

His dad chuckled, and nodded. "Every word." He took another sip of hot coco, and decided to change the subject. "By the way, are you still seeing that girl?"

"What girl?" Scott asked.

Owen rolled his eyes. "You know what girl, Scott. The one working at that bar, the waitress."

Scott decided to just answer properly this time, and replied, "Cindy? Yeah I'm still seeing her."

"Cindy, that's right. Can't believe I forgot her name." Owen said, adding, "She's only a year older than you, right?"

A simple nod was Scott's response.

Owen then asked, "What's so special about her if you don't mind me asking?"

"I do kinda mind." Scott said, but answered anyway. "But to answer your question, she's almost like the perfect girl for me. I don't think I've ever met anyone with the patience that she has."

His dad laughed a little. "Yeah, that's right, I remember now. I remember you telling me that she has the patience of a fucking saint."

Scott almost smirked at the response. "I think I told you that, yeah."

"Well..." Owen said, adding, "She's gonna have to have the patience of a saint. Having to put up with all of your bullshit and all."

Again, Scott almost smirked at the comment, knowing very well what his dad was referring to.

But as much as he wanted to think about happy thoughts, he came here for a reason, and he couldn't delay it any longer.

"Anyway..." Scott started, taking another sip of hot coco before replying, "I think it's best if I just get right to the point."

Owen, understanding what he was talking about, nodded and replied, "Yeah, kinda beating around the bush. You obviously have something really important you want to talk about, otherwise you wouldn't have come over here in the middle of the night."

Putting the mug down on the table, Owen added, "So, what is it?"

Scott also put his mug down on the table, and replied, "...I'm just gonna go right out and say it pop, and I want you to be straight with me."

Owen stared at him intently, waiting.

Scott waited for a few seconds, before proceeding to ask his dad...

"...Why did you frame Billy?"

* * *

 **Authors Notes: And that is where I'll leave it for now. So, another revelation and it's a big one this time. Scott knows Billy, so does his dad, but the latter doesn't just know him, there's more to it. If you've been paying real close attention throughout the story, I did leave some subtle hints that there's somewhat of a connection between Billy and the others. I can't remember unfortunately since it has been a while since I last got to work on this story.** **Anyway, this probably brings up more questions, which will be answered, either in the next chapter, or the chapter after...who am I kidding, it's likely going to be the next chapter, but, well, I can't say for sure, so we'll just wait and see.**

 **Once again, I apologise for the long delay, and I appreciate those of you who are still reading this story and sticking with it until the end despite the delays that keep coming up. I'm so grateful in fact, that I just might decide to introduce some previously submitted OC's earlier than usual in the upcoming Enduring the Evil REwrites, maybe starting with RE1, so if you've already submitted an OC to me via PM, you might be seeing your character sooner rather than later.  
**

 **As always, please Review, the feedback is always appreciated.**


	12. Tyrant

**So just to clear up any confusion anyone may have. My plan is to finish this story and then proceed to REwrite Enduring the Evil 1,2 and 3 and likely CODE: Veronica X, after I take a break after finishing this story. Now on the topic of the first story, I've been debating on REwriting and finishing it first, before posting anything, which would then allow me to post a chapter on a weekly basis once I do start it up on here. Of course, this would also mean that it would be a while before anything Enduring the Evil related gets posted, excluding the series of One-shots for each of the OC's I intend to do at some point.  
**

 **So with that said, when I get around to the REwrite of Enduring the Evil, would you rather I continue to just post chapters as soon as they're done? Or, would you like me to take a different approach and finish the full story first, and then post chapters on a weekly basis? Also keep in mind that the latter option completely eliminates the massive time gap between chapters being posted as soon as they're done, like right now. This would mean that the story won't get posted for a good period of time, but when it does, chapters will be guaranteed to be posted once or even twice a week.**

 **Feel free to let me know which one.**

 **Disclaimer: Resident Evil and its characters belong to Capcom obviously, any Original characters in this story belong to me.**

* * *

 ** ** ** ** ** **Chapter 12:  
 ** ** ** ** ** **  
 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **'Tyrant'********************************************

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **Turntable Platform********************************************

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **'Rebecca, Bryan, Danny'************************************************************************************************************************************

The three survivors barely dodged the monsters claw after it lunged at them, escaping serious injury just by the skin of their teeth.

Rebecca was the first to get back to her feet, weapon in hand, and wasted no time trying to bring the monster down before it could follow up its previous attack.

But the bullets didn't even faze it.

Unlike all of the other monsters that they had encountered up to this point, this monster didn't even so much as react to the bullets.

It didn't let out a cry. It didn't stagger. It didn't flinch.

The monster simply continued stalking towards the STARS medic, completely unfazed by the bullets that were shot into its body.

When the sound of her gun indicated an empty magazine, Rebecca slowly backed away as she tried to reload.

But her sight was locked on the monster that closed the distance between them, making it difficult for her to focus.

"Hey! Over here, asshole!" Danny shouted.

When the monster turned and set its gaze on him, the Rockstar froze in place. "Shit." He turned to Bryan, who was crouched further away with his eyes locked on the magnum he had dropped when the monster attacked. "Bryan, you're gonna have to be fast here."

"I know..." Bryan said, panting heavily as his eyes went back and forth between the monster that was slowly stalking towards his friend, and the magnum that was just a few steps past it.

Rebecca waved over at them, shouting, "Get out of here you two! I'll distract it! As soon as the elevator shows up, make a run for it!"

With her weapon reloaded, Rebecca fired at the monster once again.

At first, it continued towards Danny who slowly backed away from it, ignoring the bullets that pierced its body.

However, in the blink of an eye, the monster swiftly turned around and charged towards Rebecca, claw raised and ready to strike.

The STARS medic yelled in surprise at the unexpected speed of the monster and just barely managed to jump out of the way of its claw. Rebecca counted herself very lucky when she saw the large scratch mark on the wall caused by the attack, knowing full well the damage she would have suffered would have been much worse.

"NOW BRYAN!" Danny shouted.

Bryan made a run for the magnum while Danny ran towards Rebecca in an attempt to help.

The monster quickly turned its attention to him however, and knocked Danny aside before he could reach the STARS medic.

Despite taking a hard hit from the monster's arm, Danny did manage to avoid a serious injury from those sharp claws. Of course, when he found himself crashing into the wall, he started to wonder if a scratch or two was better than the aching pain he could feel in his ribs after the hit.

"DANNY!" Rebecca screamed before trying to run to the young Rockstar's aid, but was immediately cut off by the monster.

She ducked in response to the monster swinging its large claw at her, then backed away as fast as she could while unloading whatever bullets she had left in her handgun.

Again though, the monster did not react to the gunshots.

Bryan, having reached the magnum, picked it up and aimed it as accurately as he could at the monster. "Hey! See how you like this!" He shouted, getting the monster's attention.

He pulled the trigger.

Nothing happened however.

"What the fuck?" Bryan looked at the magnum in shock, wondering how much worse his luck could possibly get.

Rebecca's eyes widened as the monster stomped towards the civilian, and shouted at him, "Bryan! The safety!"

"Shit!" The young teen quickly scanned the gun for the safety switch.

As soon as he found it, he took the safety off and aimed the magnum once more.

Only to find himself being grabbed by the monster and raised effortlessly into the air.

"GET OFF ME!" Bryan shouted as he flailed and kicked, but the monster remained still as a statue, unfazed by his attempts to escape as it looked at him with those pale eyes.

Rebecca reloaded her handgun and rushed to his aid. "Let him go!" She shouted, carefully aiming her weapon at the monster before firing in a desperate attempt to free the civilian from the monster's grasp.

The monster slowly turned to her, still holding Bryan in its grip, again, unfazed by the bullets.

But this was the opening the young teen needed to free himself from its grip.

Bryan raised the magnum and pointed it directly at the monsters head.

And pulled the trigger.

The monster recoiled in response, falling back a few steps, throwing Bryan aside before clutching its bleeding head.

"Bryan!" Rebecca shouted, running to Bryan's side. "Are you okay?"

The civilian hissed in pain, and looked up at her, before turning his gaze to the monster.

He pointed at it, prompting Rebecca to turn around.

Despite still clutching its head, the monster was still standing, much to the shock of them all.

Acting fast, Rebecca picked up the magnum and fired off another round into the monster.

The monster stumbled back a step in response, still standing.

"Just die already!" Rebecca shouted before firing off another round into the monsters exposed heart.

That did the trick, as the monster stumbled back again, clutching its exposed heart before falling to its knees.

When it fully fell, face down into the floor, Rebecca let out a sigh of relief, lowering the magnum.

Only to raise it again when the monster slowly tried to get back up.

Fortunately, it failed, and fell down for good this time.

Rebecca waited for a brief moment, just to make sure, and when it was clear it was no longer alive, she lowered the magnum.

The STARS medic went and helped Bryan to his feet, the two staring awkwardly at one another for just a brief moment before Bryan turned and ran over to Danny. "Danny!"

Danny rubbed his sides, hissing in pain as Bryan helped him up. "Ow! Hey! Watch the ribs!"

"S-Sorry. You okay?" Bryan asked.

The Rockstar just gave him a thumbs up. "I'm still alive, so...you know, yeah."

Before either of them could say another word, the elevator doors opened.

Danny just frowned, and said, "Oh yeah, NOW the elevator shows up."

Rebecca then approached, asking, "Can you walk? Do you need me to take a look at you?"

"Sure, but maybe after we're somewhere a little more safe." Danny replied as he gathered up what he could, his guitar case in particular, before entering the elevator.

Bryan retrieved everything else of theirs with Rebecca's help before following his friend.

Before she followed after them, Rebecca cast one last glance back at the dead monster before entering the elevator and pressing the button.

When the doors closed and the elevator started to move, Danny, finally able to rest without trying to fight for his life, asked, "Ok, now, WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?!"

"Another monster..." Bryan said quietly as he seated himself in one of the corners. "Another monster, I...I-I can't believe we made it out of there alive."

Danny shook his head, replying, "Another monster yeah, but that wasn't like anything else we've come across so far. What the fuck was it?"

Rebecca then spoke up, telling them, "It doesn't matter. It was just another monster, plain and simple, and it's dead now so there's no need to worry about it."

The Rockstar seated himself in another corner and sighed. "This is too much. Seriously, I don't know how much longer I can go on."

"Just a little longer. Just a little longer Danny." Rebecca said, trying to reassure him.

While he appreciated her attempt, Danny didn't look too convinced.

Rebecca kneeled down next to him, and asked, "Anyway, are you hurt?"

Danny shook his head a little, rubbing his sides. "Not too serious, just some bruised ribs. Gonna be feeling it in the morning that's for sure."

"I'll take a look once we find a safe room to rest in." Rebecca said before seating herself next to Bryan.

Bryan looked at her slightly, and upon noticing the concerned look in her eyes, said, "I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

The STARS medic wasn't convinced however, and replied, "I can't help but worry Bryan. If something happens to either of you, it's MY fault."

"No." Bryan disagreed with her, looking down at his knees as he replied, "If something happens to either of us, it's our fault for not being careful enough."

Rebecca frowned at him and leaned forward, placing her hands on his face and forcing him to look her in the eye. "No! It's my job to protect you two and if either of you end up dead, it will be MY fault. Whether you two are careful or not, it's my job as a police officer, as a member of STARS, to protect and serve! We've been through this already!"

Bryan looked like he was going to respond, but instead decided to remain silent and looked away, at least, he would have tried to if it weren't for Rebecca's hands on his face keeping his eyes on her.

"If anything happens to either of you, that means I'll have failed as a police officer, as a member of STARS." Rebecca said, looking upset now, adding, "I wouldn't be able to handle that kind of failure. So please, from now on, the next time we end up in a situation like that again, I want you to run and get to safety. Understand?"

The young teen looked a little reluctant to agree, and said, "Rebecca, we're not going to abandon you if some-"

Rebecca shushed him before he could finish, and replied, "It's not abandoning! It's survival! It's about keeping yourselves alive by any means necessary!"

"I'll be fine, so you focus on worrying about yourselves. Ok?" Rebecca said, a pleading look in her eyes.

For a moment, Bryan wanted to disagree with her, but seeing that look in her eyes made it impossible for him to refuse, and eventually he relented.

With a sigh, he simply muttered a quiet, "Ok."

The STARS medic smiled a little and took her hands away from his face before seating herself back down next to him.

Danny, who was watching the entire time in silence, exchanged glances with Rebecca, who offered him a smile, which he returned.

"So..." Danny started, asking them, "When's this elevator gonna stop?"

* * *

Elsewhere, the young man in the cloak observed with a chuckle as his leeches slid around on the monitor displaying the three survivors.

"Playtime is over. You and your friends no longer amuse me. Good riddance."

He watched as one of his leeches slid across his arm, and smirked.

"Now nothing will stop me from getting my revenge."

* * *

 **Raccoon City**

 **At the same time...**

Scott's father excused himself for a moment.

While he could have gone after him to make sure he didn't try to run, Owen wasn't the kind of man to run away and Scott knew that better than anyone.

And even if by some chance Owen did try to run, Scott would have no problem catching up to him.

Various thoughts went through his mind about what could happen, about what he was going to do if he got a response that he didn't like.

But he remembered that he had already steeled himself for what he had to do if it came down to it.

He hoped it wouldn't, but he had to be prepared either way.

When he heard his father making his way downstairs, Scott decided to save him the trip and got out of his chair, making his way into the main hall to confront him.

"So, you gonna give me an answer or what?"

Scott asked his father, keeping a straight face the entire time even after seeing the magnum in his father's hand.

The magnum that his father was currently aiming at him with.

Not only that, but Owen was no longer wearing his bathrobe, but instead was geared up in a complete black BDU, minus the helmet and body armour.

"You changed quick." Scott said, narrowing his eyes a little at his father.

Owen just frowned calmly at him. "You shouldn't have asked that question Scott."

Scott raised a brow, and asked, "Oh yeah? And why is that? I'm still waiting on an answer."

"Shut up." Owen growled a little, nearly losing his composure.

Silence followed for a moment, and while keeping his weapon trained on his son, Owen asked, "...Palmer. I take it that was your handiwork?"

The former marine was almost surprised by his father's response, but it made sense, given the circumstances and all. "When did you find out?"

Owen's frown hardened a little. "Literally not that long before you showed up. One of my guys contacted me, said they lost him in the streets while trying to keep an eye on him, and eventually found him dead in an alley."

Scott smirked a little at the response, which only seemed to anger his father even more. "It was you, wasn't it? You, showing up here in the middle of the night not long after I find out one of my squad members is dead. That's no coincidence."

"You're right pop." Scott said, adding, "It isn't a coincidence. I did kill Palmer, after I beat the holy hell out of him of course."

Again, Owen looked furious, but did his best to calm himself down before asking his son, "...What did he tell you?"

"Everything." Scott said, frowning now.

Owen just looked at him for a moment, trying to think of every little detail that came to mind, before replying, "Be more specific. Tell me what happened in that alley."

Scott folded his arms over his chest, and simply replied, "...No problem."

* * *

 **Treatment Plant, Bridge**

 **'Rebecca, Bryan, Danny'**

When they exited the elevator, the three survivors continued on, simply wanting to get as far away from the last area as possible.

However, they were all stopped in their tracks when something in the river below caught their eyes.

Rebecca gasped upon realising what it was, who it was, and called out, "BILLY!"

Sure enough, Billy was in the rapidly moving waters, held only in place by the rock he was hanging from.

"BILLY! WE'RE HERE! WAKE UP!" Bryan shouted in an attempt to wake the former marine from his unconscious state.

Danny helped, shouting, "COME ON MAN! OPEN YOUR EYES! BILLY!"

Suddenly, something else caught their eyes.

A dark shadow swiftly moved around in the water, alarming the three survivors and prompting them to shout again.

"BILLY! Rebecca called out again.

Whatever it was, the mass shot upwards and launched Billy back into the current, forcing the former marine awake at the same time.

Just in time for him to see the three survivors shouting and calling out to him as the current dragged him away and carried him into a tunnel.

"NO, BILLY!"

The three survivors wasted no time running on ahead through the control room, hoping to catch up to the former marine.

Unfortunately, the elevator, which was their only way of moving on, was inactive, much to their frustration.

"There's gotta be a way to turn the power on or something!" Danny said, looking around.

Bryan then pointed to the small room nearby containing what was hopefully the controls for activating the power.

Rebecca was the first in to search, followed by the two civilians, who started scanning the computers and monitors.

"Which is which?" Bryan asked.

Danny just shrugged, replying, "I dunno, I'm just looking for something with a label that says 'Power'."

Rebecca rolled her eyes and cleared her throat.

When she got their attention, she gestured towards another set of controls.

"Dam Area, Power Supply Panel." Danny read out loud, adding, "Designate a point to receive power. Power can be supplied to any location up to two points away."

Bryan scratched the back of his head. "How exactly does this work?"

Rebecca sighed, "Well, you press the switches here for a start."

The young civilian clenched a fist and said, "Dammit! Which ones though?! We need to find Billy before something happens to him!"

"Got it." Danny said with a grin as he approached the controls.

"I'll have the power on in a jiffy."

* * *

 **10 Minutes Later...**

After countless, frustrating attempts at trying to turn on the power, Danny eventually managed to enter the correct button combination.

Though despite successfully restoring power to the area, the damage had already been done and the young Rockstar was mostly quiet and moody as they continued on their way to catch up with Billy.

Save for a few zombies that awaited them, which Rebecca managed to dispatch with little effort, their advance through the facility was surprisingly met with little resistance.

Finally, the three survivors managed to make it to the dumping area, and to their relief, found the former marine.

"BILLY!"

Rebecca was the first to Billy's side, followed by the others, who helped pull him out of the water.

The former marine coughed up water, gasping for air as he tried to sit up. He then looked up at the STARS medic and asked, "Rebecca...where am I?"

"You're safe now. Are you okay?" Rebecca asked in response, looking as equally concerned as the two civilians at her side.

Before he could respond, something caught Billy's eye.

"Hm?"

When they noticed him staring over at him something, they turned and looked to see what had his attention.

Upon taking a closer look, Bryan and Danny backed away in horror when they realised what it was.

A pile of human skeletons.

"W-What the fuck?!" Danny backed off and turned away from the pile. "I...I think I'm gonna be sick..."

Bryan looked a little longer, eyes wide with shock, deep in thought, as if trying to convince himself that what he was seeing was real.

Eventually he managed to tear his gaze away, and took a few deep breaths.

"What could have done this?" Rebecca asked.

Billy frowned as he scanned over the pile of skeletons, and replied, "They must have been used as test subjects in Marcus' research."

Anger filled the former marine, a hardened glare in his eye as he added, "He must have kept messing around with the mother virus." He said as memories of dead bodies flashed through his mind.

"Billy?" Rebecca quietly spoke, looking concerned for the former marine.

* * *

 **Raccoon City**

 **At the same time...**

Alex and Matt had walked mostly in silence before they finally arrived at a small isolated park, a rather familiar park to Alex in particular.

It looked abandoned judging by just how old and rusty the entire playground was.

"Remember this place?" Matt asked as he looked around.

Nodding, Alex replied, "...Yeah. This is where we had our first fight."

Matt almost smirked at the response, and said, "We were still in school at the time. And I hated your guts."

"Second fight after that was at school." Alex replied again, adding, "That was also the day you got expelled. The day that your grudge against me went beyond just simple hate."

The smirk disappeared, replaced by a frown as Matt replied, "Yeah."

Alex just stared at him, and added, "I'm not gonna apologise Matt. At the end of the day, it was you and your asshole attitude that got you expelled. You and you alone are at fault for it."

Matt said nothing and simply turned his back, looking around the wrecked playground as he went deep in thought.

Somewhat annoyed by the lack of a response, Alex asked, "Why are we here Matt? If we're gonna fight then we could've done it earlier instead of coming over here."

"Do you remember what happened after I got expelled Alex?" Matt asked.

Alex nodded slowly. "Yeah, your mom was deported back to the UK and you had to live with a family friend for the next number of years."

"That's putting it simply." Matt said, adding, "My mom fought tooth and nail for me every single day of my life. She's the main reason I even managed to get into school, and despite all of the stress she was under from everything, whether it was work or scumbags making her life difficult, she always put me first before anything else."

Once again, Alex nodded. "And that's why you were more pissed than usual when you got expelled."

Matt nodded also, replying, "All her hard work pretty much went down the drain, yeah. Even after that, she still went above and beyond the call of duty to look after me, despite all of the stupid things I did that made things even more difficult for her."

Frowning, Matt then added, "Do you know that my mom gave birth to me when she was only fourteen?"

Alex's eyes widened a little. "What?"

"That's right." Matt nodded. "She was raped by some young punk years ago. And even though she never asked for a kid, she didn't throw me away, she tried to look after me anyway." A sigh, and he continued, "Her parents looked after me mostly, until she was old enough and capable enough to do it herself and even then, she always thought about me and what she could do to make my life easier, never once thinking about herself."

There was a clear look of pity on Alex's face but he did his best to hide it, trying to mask whatever emotions that threatened to show.

Matt turned and looked at him, "I owe her everything. She did everything in her power to make my life as easy and comfortable as possible, and all that hard work was undone thanks to you."

"I told you already Matt, you have only yourself to blame at the end of the day. If you want to bitch and complain then go ahead." Alex said, louder than he meant to, before adding, "But don't you dare stand there and point fingers at me for how hard your life has been."

A chuckle, and Matt slowly brushed his hand over his revolver for a brief second before nodding. "Yeah...yeah, maybe you're right. Maybe."

He looked away, eyeing the swings, and said, "You know, she'll be thirty-six tomorrow. And I can't even be there to wish her a happy birthday."

Slowly, a smirk creeped its way onto his face, and he added, "Although, I did manage to get her a satisfying birthday gift. Not something physically, but, well, I think it's the message that matters."

Alex raised a brow, looking confused now. "What do you mean?"

Matt looked over his shoulder at him, grinning a little as he replied, "Remember that young punk I mentioned earlier? The son of a bitch who I'm supposed to call dad?"

A simple "...Yeah." was all Alex said, not liking where this was going.

"I found him." Matt said, grin replaced by a calm frown. "I tracked him down. I beat the living shit out of him..."

Brushing a hand through his hair, Matt then added, "I Killed him."

Though he was shocked at the sudden revelation, Alex was able to keep his face from showing a reaction. Given he had already seen one dead person tonight, at the hands of one of his closest friends no less, finding out about another killing at this point wasn't too much of a surprise.

It was Raccoon City after all.

* * *

 **Treatment Plant, Water Treatment Room**

 **'Rebecca, Billy, Bryan, Danny'**

After taking a brief moment to rest, the four survivors continued on their way, more than happy to be reunited with the former marine.

That Billy was easily able to dispatch the few zombies that got in their way with little effort, only further proved how vital he truly was to their survival.

While they moved, Danny thought it'd be wise to inform Billy of their encounter with Rebecca's Captain earlier.

The young Rockstar also emphasized on how Rebecca had insisted to her Captain that she continue to search for Billy, for reasons her Captain was oblivious too.

Billy was amused, while Rebecca couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed, especially when Danny seemed to overexaggerate on some parts.

"Don't worry, he's really just trying to lighten the mood." Bryan whispered, smiling at her.

Rebecca smiled back, replying, "I know, I know. But still, he could atleast not overexaggerate a bit."

Bryan looked up at the two ahead of them and said, "I'm pretty sure Billy knows which parts did happen and which parts didn't."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right." Rebecca replied, adding, "How is your knee? I noticed you weren't limping a while back."

The young teen nodded, replying, "Yeah, it's feeling way better than before. I can still feel it aching a bit, but not enough to get me limping. I can walk just fine." He looked at her again, smiling, "Thanks to you, obviously."

Rebecca blushed a little and looked on ahead, "Just...you know, doing my job."

When the four survivors eventually reached the Water Treatment Room, Danny spoke up.

"Wait! I think I know where we are."

Billy just looked at him, confused. "What are you talking about?"

Danny gestured to the other side of the room, replying, "I saw a map of the facility earlier. If I remember right, there's a cargo lift nearby this room that leads outside."

"How far?" Bryan asked.

The young Rockstar pointed to the door on the other side of the room. "Assuming the map is accurate, just through that door and past the area ahead."

Billy nodded and readied his weapon. "It's better than nothing, let's go." He said, taking the lead, Rebecca and the others following close behind.

As the four survivors made their way around the stagnant pool in the middle of the room, a sound stopped them in their tracks.

And the moment they heard something emerge from the water behind them, they turned around.

Just in time to see the Proto Tyrant getting to its feet after climbing out of the mucky water.

"No way! We fucking killed that thing!" Danny shouted.

Billy stepped between them and the monster, aiming his shotgun at it. "I take it he's a friend of yours?"

"We've met." Rebecca said, standing next to Billy with her handgun raised at the monster.

The Tyrant growled at them as it rose up to its full height, before stomping towards the four survivors.

"Watch out Billy! That thing is a tough bastard!" Danny said as he backed away a little.

The former marine nodded, and proceeded to fire his shotgun, alongside Rebecca who unloaded all the bullets she had.

Although Rebecca's bullets didn't faze it, the monster was staggered by the shotgun blast, and again by the second, and the third.

Billy managed to keep the monster from closing in on them with the few shotgun rounds he had, until he ran out.

Before he could reload, Tyrant then rushed forward, and swung its large clawed hand at the former marine, forcing him to back away, just barely dodging the attack.

"Eat this!" Billy shouted as he drew his combat knife and impaled it into the monsters exposed heart.

Although this did seem to faze it for a moment, it proved to have little effect when the monster continued its attack.

Billy managed to dodge the first swing of its large clawed hand, but was unable to avoid being backhanded by the monsters other arm, sending him flying across the room.

Rebecca, who had reloaded her weapon by this point, turned and shouted to the others. "Hand me the magnum!"

The moment she set her eyes back on the Tyrant however it had already closed in on her.

Before she could get away or even raise her handgun to defend herself, the monster grabbed her by the neck and lifted her into the air.

Rebecca dropped her gun and clawed at the monsters grip with her hands in a desperate attempt to free herself.

"REBECCA!"

Seeing the worried looks on the two survivors faces, Rebecca grit her teeth as the monster continued to choke her and barely managed out, "Get...out..."

Bryan and Danny dropped their things and wasted no time rushing in to help, refusing to leave her.

The two started punching and kicking the monster as hard as they could, and Danny, looking over and seeing Billy struggling back to his feet. shouted, "BILLY! HELP!"

"YOU LET HER GO!" Bryan shouted as he jumped up and grabbed hold of the monsters arm that held Rebecca in the air.

Fortunately, the monster released the STARS medic, sort of, by throwing her aside and into a wall.

When he saw Rebecca land on the floor, laying motionlessly, Bryan let go and immediately rushed to her side. "REBECCA!"

Unfortunately however, the monster now turned its attention to the two civilians.

"Shit." Danny uttered as he backed away. "Billy, now would be a good time!"

Billy, having recovered enough to make it to his knees, panted heavily as he went to pick up all of the shotgun shells he could manage that were scattered around him.

Tyrant swung its large clawed hand at the young Rockstar, but Danny was fast enough to dodge, barely, and tried to get in a kick.

When it attacked once more, he dodged again, and this time his attempt to get in another kick proved to be his undoing when the monster, unfazed by his efforts, backhanded him aside.

"DANNY!" Bryan shouted as he watched his friend fall down after hitting the wall.

To his relief, the young Rockstar was still alive, clutching his sides as he let out a pained groan.

To his shock however, Tyrant had now turned and started stalking its way towards him.

He could feel his heartbeat speeding up, and not wanting to go down without a fight, quickly grabbed Rebecca's handgun, and fired away.

The first few bullets missed, but when the monster was much closer, every bullet hit their mark.

Not that it did any good, given Tyrant was unfazed by the bullets.

Bryan continued to pull the trigger however, until there were no more bullets left.

The young teen just looked up in horror, seeing red the entire time as the large monster stood over him, raising its large clawed hand.

Heartbeat speeding up even more, his entire body trembling like crazy, Bryan's eyes were almost wide the entire time as he watched the monster prepare to deliver what would be a killing blow.

He was saved just in time however by Billy, who pushed the monster back with a shotgun blast, then another, then another, then another.

Billy closed the distance, dodging a swipe from the monsters claws and pressed his shotgun into its knee before pulling the trigger.

The blast completely destroyed the monsters knee, and brought it down on its other. Billy then proceeded to unload the remaining shotgun shells into the monsters body, but in an attempt to fight back, it swung its large clawed hand at him again.

Billy dodged it of course, and fired his last round into its arm, separating its largest claws from the rest of its body.

Still, Tyrant refused to go down, and reached out and smacked Billy aside with its remaining, and less deadly arm.

Rebecca, who regained consciousness, slowly opened her eyes, just in time to witness the former marine land a few feet away from her. "B-Billy..."

Bryan, whose heartbeat and breathing hadn't slowed down, finally broke from his frozen state and screamed.

He screamed with a rage that Rebecca didn't think she could ever hear from him.

A rage filled scream that only intensified when Bryan sprinted forward and tackled what was left of the weakened Tyrant to the floor.

Grabbing Billy's combat knife that was still embedded in its exposed heart, Bryan began stab the monster repeatedly, over and over and over again.

Over and over with an angry shout every time the blade of the knife pierced the monsters flesh.

The monster growled in response, but after all of the damage it had suffered, it had little to no strength left to fight back, making it easier for the civilian to stab away.

Whether it was the exposed heart, or the monsters head itself that he stabbed, it didn't matter.

Bryan continued to stab the monster repeatedly and relentlessly, ignoring the other survivors who were pleading for him to stop as he continued to stab away even after it finally started to die.

 **"DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE DAMMIT!"** He shouted every time the knife pierced the monster.

Finally, Bryan stopped, eyes wide, panting heavily, simply trying to catch his breath as he looked down at what was left of the monster.

The monster that was most certainly dead for good this time.

After a brief silence, Bryan slowly looked down at his shaking hands, dropping the knife as he tried to process everything that happened. "I...w-what did I..."

"...Bryan?"

The concerned and very worried tone of Rebecca's voice caught his attention, prompting Bryan to turn and look at her.

He froze when he saw the fear in her eyes.

* * *

 **Authors Notes: Just a quick note this time. Sorry for the long wait etc, been busy as usual, but excluding the Epilogue, only two chapters remain. I will aim to try and finish them as soon as possible.**

 **As usual, please Review, the feedback is always appreciated.**


	13. Showdown

**With this chapter now up, only two more remain, although technically only one chapter remains, as chapter fifteen is just a short Epilogue, and as such it won't really take me long to write it. In fact, I dare say this chapter was the most difficult to write as it's obviously the most action filled chapter in the story. And I think I've made it clear before how often difficult those types of chapters are annoying to write sometimes.**

 **And again, I apologise that it's taken me so long to make progress on this story, it's obviously a running gag at this point that in every story I write, when I only have a handful of chapters left, progress really starts to slow down. And the reasons always vary, which is why I'm hoping to avoid that when I do get around to rewriting Enduring the Evil in the future.  
**

 **That said, let's just get right to it.**

 **Disclaimer: Resident Evil and its characters belong to Capcom obviously, any Original characters in this story belong to me.**

* * *

 ** ** ** ** ** **Chapter 13:  
 ** ** ** ** ** **  
 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **'Showdown'********************************************

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **Treatment Plant********************************************

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **'Rebecca, Billy, Bryan, Danny'************************************************************************************************************************************

Silence had followed the four survivors for quite a bit following their encounter with the Proto Tyrant.

As they walked across the dam outside, Rebecca's eyes had remained on Bryan the entire time, feeling a mix of emotions as she continued to play the events in her head over and over.

Billy was more surprised and shocked if anything. And he was very concerned.

To say Rebecca herself was very concerned would be an understatement. She just could not stop thinking about what she saw.

Danny, who had Rebecca bandage up his ribs, was the only one who wasn't shocked or surprised by the sudden change in his friend. And his lack of a reaction didn't escape Billy and Rebecca's notice.

When Billy called out for everyone to stop and rest, Bryan, unsurprisingly, seated himself at the other end of the dam, far away from the three.

Of course, they were fine with this, for the moment, as it allowed the former marine and the STARS medic to drag Danny to the other side of the dam, out of earshot.

"I know what you're gonna ask." Danny said, beating them to the punch.

Billy raised a brow, gesturing towards Bryan as he replied, "You don't say?"

Danny shrugged, prompting Rebecca to ask, "Why don't we start with what the heck happened back there? What was that all about?"

A sigh was Danny's response, earning a frown from the two.

"You know what happened Danny. It'll be a lot easier for all of us if we knew too." Billy reasoned.

Rebecca then added, "We're just worried. What happened back there was...it was just...just scary. That wasn't the Bryan I've been surviving with since the train. What happened? Please tell me."

Danny sighed and tightened his grip around his guitar case, looked the two of them in the eye, and said, "Bryan's suffering from Dissociative identity disorder."

A gasp was Rebecca's response, while Billy's eyes merely widened in shock.

The young Rockstar looked back over at his friend, who was sitting in silence, head resting on his knees.

"After the last time, I was really hoping it wouldn't happen again. Then again, considering the circumstances, I really should have seen it coming." Danny added, looking upset now.

Rebecca tilted her head a little, confused, and asked, "What do you mean by last time?"

Danny looked back at her and replied, "Besides the minor incidents we've had, there was one time back in high school years ago. There were these two punks who liked to pick on and bully all of the younger students. Just the usual school bullies except these guys were some of the more senior students at the place, so naturally, they got away with a lot of shit. Eventually, they just started targeting us, and it was mostly just intimidation at first for a few weeks. Then one day, well..."

When Danny stopped for a moment, Billy gestured for him to continue, "Then one day, what...?"

"Then one day they got physical." Danny replied, adding, "They got really aggressive, started making threats. I think it was a week or two after that, that they eventually crossed the line and threatened us with a knife. That was when Bryan finally snapped."

Rebecca recoiled in surprise and was about to ask what happened, but stopped, afraid she would hear something she didn't want to hear.

"What happened?" Billy asked for her.

Danny glanced at him, and answered. "Bryan tackled the guy with the knife to the ground before either of them could blink and beat the holy hell out of him. I was too busy trying to keep the other guy from going for the knife." He sighed, and shrugged, adding, "Our friends were nearby at the time and came running. They chased off the guy, and then had to restrain Bryan and call an ambulance cuz the other guy was so fucked up. We found out the next day he was in a coma."

Billy was silent, processing what the young Rockstar told him.

Rebecca, meanwhile, nervously asked, "What happened after that?"

"The police got involved, obviously. But because they already had the guys fingerprints on the knife, and our statement that we fought back in self-defense, and the fact that both guys were known offenders, they let us go." Danny explained. He then looked at Rebecca, curiously, and asked, "You're a cop, Rebecca. Don't they have a record or file of this somewhere in the police department?"

The STARS medic shrugged. "Not that I know of, but it sounds like something they would keep a record of."

Billy looked over at Bryan, who hadn't moved from his spot, then glanced back at Danny, and asked, "Has he been receiving any treatment for his condition?"

At the mention of treatment, Danny looked away with a sombre expression, and slowly replied, "Therapists just cost too much money. We...did have one therapist though, or rather someone who was good at it and was more than happy to help out for free."

Rebecca tilted her head a little, looking concerned as she asked, "And where is he? Or she?"

"He died back on the train."

* * *

 **Raccoon City**

 **At the same time...**

It felt like forever since Matt went silent.

Alex, for just a moment, tried to comprehend Matt's mindset and understand things from his perspective.

Most of it, he could understand.

But he hit a dead end when he reached the part where Matt confessed to killing his dad.

Granted, the man was responsible for raping Matt's mother when she was still young, so he certainly deserved a beating.

Alex was convinced however that killing the man was a step too far.

Or maybe he was just fed up with his friends or former associates from high school showing up in the middle of the night claiming to have killed people.

Finally, he decided to break the silence, and said, "Matt, I'm not gonna say he didn't deserve to get his ass kicked, but don't you think just outright killing him is taking it too far? Even for you, there has to be a line."

Matt glanced over at him, and smirked, much to Alex's annoyance. "I will cross any and every line necessary if it conflicts with my personal interests. Besides, you should've seen the bastard. His entire place with littered with drugs and booze. He was scum, and I did the world a favour getting rid of him."

Alex frowned, clenching his fists.

"The look on his face when I told him who I was." Matt chuckled, and said, "Priceless."

With his anger finally taking hold, Alex pointed a finger at Matt, and shouted, "Shut up!"

This caught Matt by surprise, getting his full attention as Alex continued.

"No matter what the crime, NO ONE deserves to have their life taken away against their will!" Alex said, adding, "It's true that there are many bad people out there, and those same people have committed serious crimes, but they get locked up! They're forced to spend a piece of their lives behind bars to contemplate what they've done, to realise how wrong it was, and look back on it with regret. Those same people can change, and they deserve a chance to do so! They deserve a shot at redemption!"

Matt just gave him a mixed look of surprise and confusion, then, eventually, anger, and replied, "Wow, do you even hear yourself? You have any idea how stupid you sound?"

Alex frowned again, mentally kicking himself as he thought back to when he picked up Scott by that alley with the dead marine.

The dead marine that Scott killed.

It was only because they were friends, that Alex was willing to accept Scott's reasoning and look the other way. As long as those responsible faced justice for their crimes, as long as the truth behind the Billy Coen incident came to light, Alex was willing to keep silent if it meant exposing the real criminals and seeing them put behind bars to live out their sentence.

He was not, however, going to stand for mindless killing, not when there's always another option.

"Besides, it's not like you're any better." Matt said.

Alex raised a brow at him, and asked, "What are you talking about?"

Matt pointed at him, replying, "I know fine well that you often get yourself caught up in fights, because you're always busy patrolling the streets and the alleys, making sure people are safe. Always rushing in and stopping a bunch of assholes from mugging an innocent woman, or putting yourself between some punk and a bunch of school kids, the list goes on and on and on. Really, you just love a good fight like I do. You can't get enough of it."

"I try to defend those that can't defend themselves!" Alex said, adding, "I do that because I value life, something my parents taught me. And I'll be damned if I betray that principle."

Scoffing at Alex's statement, Matt replied, "Give me a break. You think that kind of mindset is going to make a difference? Wake up you fucking idiot, we're living in reality, and in reality, you gotta be willing to cross the line." He pointed at Alex again, adding, "I've already crossed it a number of times these past few months, that pathetic excuse of an old man was just another on a long list that won't be ending any time soon."

Alex's eyes widened, looking shocked at the response. "You've...killed other people?"

"Only the bad ones, if it makes you feel any better." Matt grinned.

Clenching his fists, Alex grit his teeth and tried to keep his anger from taking over. It took just about all of his willpower to stop himself from charging at Matt, willpower that was on the verge of breaking. He just couldn't believe  
how far his old high school associate had fallen, and honestly, it hurt to see.

"Matt...you need to stop, now." Alex said quietly. "You need to stop now or, soon enough, you'll have done so much damage that there'll be no coming back for you."

A chuckle was Matt's response. "I could care less Alex."

With a heavy sigh, Alex slowly looked him in the eye and his determined expression said it all.

Matt noticed this too, which was why he slowly started removing his sunglasses, trench coat and holsters, smirking the entire time.

After all, this is what he hoped it would come to.

* * *

 **Elsewhere...**

 _"S-Scott...j-just let me expl-"_

 _Not another word._

 _Scott silenced Palmer with a powerful right hook that sent him crashing into the wall._

 _When the marine slumped down against it, Scott lowered his fist, and said, "Last time Palmer, and this time, no excuses. No bullshit attempts at justification. I wanna know what really happened that day."_

 _Kneeling down, Scott leaned in close to the terrified marine, and quietly told him, "I wanna know what really happened at that village. You got three seconds before I really get angry, and trust me, you wouldn't like me when I'm angry."_

 _Palmer was shocked, trying to figure out what Scott was right now if not angry._

 _"One."_

 _He quickly gave in however, "Ok! Ok ok ok!"_

 _Scott pulled away and stood up, looking down at the marine in silence as he waited for an explanation._

 _Palmer sighed, wiping his mouth and spitting out blood before explaining, "The village, you're right, Billy didn't shoot the place up. It was your old man. He gave the order. He, myself and one other guy shot the place up, Billy, he didn't do anything, except try and stop us."_

 _There was a brief flicker of disbelief on Scott's face, but it disappeared as quickly as it first appeared._

 _When Scott gestured for him to continue, Palmer added, "From what I understand, your dad was working with some shady business types on some drug that was being developed for soldiers on the field. You need to understand, this was classified shit that those business types did not want anyone but him and a select few knowing about."_

 _"You're one of them I take it?" Scott asked._

 _Palmer nodded, replying, "Kinda. I was one of the few guys who knew about it, yeah, I don't know anything specific about it or its effects though. I just...I don't know all the details Scott, all I do know is that this drug was going to change the battlefield, and those guys developing it needed it to be kept a secret at all costs."_

 _"And how does this relate to Billy?" Scott asked._

 _A sigh, and Palmer replied, "One of those suits ordered your old man to deal with Billy."_

 _Scott's eyes widened a little. "The fuck? Why?"_

 _Palmer shrugged, shaking his head as he genuinely seemed confused himself. "I dunno...something, something about being suspicious of him. That's the only thing I heard, I swear. You're gonna have to get the answers you want_ _from your old man himself."_

 _Eyes shut as he contemplated his options, Scott made the decision and took a deep breath._

 _"I guess I'm gonna have to. But first..." He looked down at Palmer, who just looked miserable at this point. "It was with your help that got Billy put in cuffs, and on death row, I ain't just lettin' that slide. I can't."_

 _Palmer nodded slowly. "I know..." He sighed, adding, "Go ahead, I'm ready. I've been ready since that village, Scott."_

 _When the broken marine looked up at him, Scott felt a brief moment of hesitation, seeing the genuine regret in the man's eyes. "Just...make it quick, give me that at least."_

 _Seeing that look, made Scott start to doubt himself._

* * *

Owen just stared in silence as Scott briefly explained the events in the alley, and it was obvious he wasn't happy.

"So, pop, what's this drug I'm hearing about? And for what bullshit reason did you obey some asshole in a suit like some lapdog?" Scott asked, frowning at his old man.

A long silence followed.

Both were clearly trying to figure out what was going through the others head.

One thing was for sure, Scott was far too calm for someone who had a gun pointed at his head.

And Owen knew why.

Finally, he answered his son, and told him the truth.

"It's called Project Limbo." Was Owen's response. "It's a Combat Stimulant designed for use on the field. It was developed to help boost combat performance for every soldier on the field and in doing so, decrease the casualty rate." Owen explained. "The suits in charge of the project were very determined to see the project completed, so much so that they decided to use marines as test subjects."

Scott's eyes widened a little. "Human experimentation? On marines no less?"

Owen shook his head, replying, "I was against it at first, but when they explained that trained soldiers were more likely to adapt and successfully bond with the drug, along with the fact that I wanted to see more men out there survive and live to see another day, I couldn't refuse. It was an opportunity I just couldn't afford to throw away."

"What do you mean by successfully bond?" Scott asked, singling out that part his dad's explanation.

Unsurprised that his son pointed that out, Owen replied, "They originally tested the drug on normal people. There were, side effects, that made the project a bit of a gamble."

"Such as?" Scott asked again.

Owen raised his hand and listed the side effects with his fingers. "For one, fatigue. Second, the drug was capable of sending people into induced comatose states. And third, addiction."

Scott narrowed his eyes at his dad. "Addiction?"

"The nasty kind." Owen said with a frown, adding, "The kind of addiction that makes one crazy for more, that they're willing to kill for it."

There was a clear look of shock in Scott's eyes now.

Owen then explained, "The marines that were taken in to be tested were a part of my unit, so it was easy to arrange. I made sure only a few were taken, so as to avoid suspicion from my superiors, and for a while, things looked hopeful when those marines successfully adapted and bonded with the drug. The drug effects enhanced physical strength, stamina and reflexes, and enhanced the subjects' sense of sight and hearing. It was the perfect tool we needed on the field. If the marines going through the tests were just able to beat the two lethal side effects, it would be a success."

Again, there was one part of the explanation Scott singled out, and asked, "Yeah, but you said for a while. Something obviously went wrong."

"Yeah..." Owen sighed, replying, "Unfortunately, one of the marines I sent to be tested was just a rookie. He wasn't a hardened veteran like the others I sent with him, so, naturally, it really shouldn't have surprised me that he didn't have the willpower to keep on going with the drug."

Scott remembered, back at the base one day, a rookie marine named Randy Waller.

Just a young guy, younger than him that was always positive and friendly. Always willing and ready to follow his superiors orders down to the last letter.

He was also one of the few guys at the base he hung around with. Billy being another. One of the few marines that he could call a friend.

Then one day, he heard that Randy, in a crazed state, attacked Billy and tried to kill him.

And before he could get there in time to help, his dad and several others in his unit had already gotten there first.

Randy was gunned down and no one ever found out what happened to him.

All Billy ever told Scott that day, was something Randy shouted over and over as he tried to kill him.

 _"Limbo! Limbo! LIMBO!"_

Despite their best efforts, neither of them were ever able to find out anything.

Until now.

"...Waller. That drug was what made him go crazy?" Scott muttered out.

Owen nodded. "When the drug was deemed a success, we returned to the base, ready to field test it. However, we failed to notice Waller using the supply when we weren't looking, the addiction had already set in and by the time we realised it, it was already too late. He wasn't able to successfully adapt and bond with the drug like the others did, and he had to be put down to avoid knowledge of the project leaking out."

Scott balled his hand up into a fist, doing his best to keep his anger from showing on his face.

"Waller's body was taken away and his relatives were informed that he died defending his fellow marines." Owen said, taking a deep breath before adding, "Despite the incident, the drug had proven to be a success as the other marines they tested it on were able to use it without suffering from the two lethal side effects, the induced coma's and the addiction. The side effect regarding fatigue was common in most drugs, and the suits ultimately decided there was no need to worry about that one, and declared Project Limbo a success."

Things were starting to make sense the more he thought about it, but there was still the main issue Scott had yet to receive an explanation for.

"And what about Billy? Why did he have to take the fall for that village? What does he have to do with this?" Scott asked.

Owen just looked him in the eye as he replied, "...The suits in charge of Project Limbo found out that Billy was aware of the name, not the project itself mind you, just the name. Because we knew Waller was shouting 'Limbo' the entire time he tried to kill Billy, Coen informed me himself when he asked me about it."

The marine sighed now as he looked to be struggling to continue the explanation. "And, because Coen asked about 'Limbo', the suits in charge were afraid that he was aware of the project. They were afraid that he was investigating it and planning to expose it...so they ordered me to deal with him."

Scott's eyes widened a little, his anger building up inside as all pieces of the puzzle started coming together.

Owen kept a straight face as he explained. "Coen was the best guy on my unit, and I could never kill him. So instead, the suits devised a strategy to deal with him that wouldn't require me to pull the trigger on him."

Anger building, fists tightening, yet Scott was doing his damndest to hold himself back.

"We were intentionally sent into hostile territory in Africa in the guise that we were to attack a village being used as a guerrilla training ground. The air drop was intentionally off-target, which meant we had to march across miles of hostile terrain to the objective. It was all now just a simple matter of getting there, and letting Billy get shot by the enemy along the way, and if they didn't manage to kill him, then surely the heat would have." Owen explained.

The marine chuckled, failing to hold back a grin as he added, "Atleast, that's what the suits believed. But oh boy, they didn't know Billy like I did. I knew fully well, that none of that shit was going to take him down."

He looked back at Scott, frowning a little now. "And before I knew it, we'd made it to the objective. And Billy was still alive."

It was almost clear to him now, yet there was still a part of Scott that didn't want to believe the conclusion he was slowly coming to.

There was a slight look of regret in his eyes as Owen seemed to struggle to finish his explanation. "The suits...would not tolerate Billy coming back to the base alive. And we'd made it to the objective which was eventually the extraction point."

"Before that extraction arrived, I had to make a decision, and the decision I made is one that continues to haunt me to this day."

* * *

 _Billy watched as Owen fired his weapon in the air, while Palmer and the other marine rounded up all of the terrified villagers, the other shoving a villager onto the ground and kicking him towards the rest of the villagers._

 _"Get rid of them! Kill them all!" Owen shouted._

 _Unable to stand by and watch, Billy called out and pleaded, "Please, sir! Cease fire immediately!" He said as he quickly approached the leader of his unit._

 _"Shut up!" Was Owen's response before smacking Billy in the head with his weapon._

 _Billy fell over in response to the unexpected strike._

 _Dazed, he took a moment to shake off the pain, before the sound of his leader's voice caught his attention again._

 _"Do it!"_

 _In the blink of an eye, all of the villagers quickly fell down one by one in response to the rain of bullets being sprayed at them from Billy's Commanding Officer, Palmer and the other marine._

 _"No! Don't! Stop!" Billy shouted as he got to his feet and rushed towards Owen, the latter simply giving him a cold glare._

* * *

Silence filled the room as Owen finished, and there was a wave of emotions flowing through both him and Scott.

Despite the overwhelming anger, Scott could feel a hint of sorrow.

Sorrow that his own father would do such a thing.

"...What happened after?" He asked.

Owen kept a neutral expression as he replied, "I informed the superiors that Coen panicked under the extreme conditions and unintentionally killed the civilians. Upon returning to the base, Commander Regan had Billy court martialled. He was taken away, and you know the rest."

"I dropped out a few days later." Scott said.

Owen nodded.

Silence followed for a long moment as Scott processed everything he heard.

It was the same for Owen, who had been doing his best to try and forget any of those events had ever happened.

"You did all of that to keep some stupid combat drug a secret. What the fuck pop?" Scott said, glaring daggers at his father.

Owen sighed, replying, "It's complicated son. That drug can help save dozens of soldiers' lives. I couldn't just throw that opportunity away."

Scott continued to glare at him, and said, "...No wonder mom left you. It's just like she said, you only care about your damn job. And it's only now that I see just how right she really is."

"Don't you dare drag your mom into this conversation. Project Limbo is a fucking good thing for the Marines Scott! It will SAVE lives! What don't you get about that?!" Owen shouted.

His son wasn't inclined to listen to him however. "Oh yeah, Project fucking Limbo! Yeah that totally sounds like a good fucking thing doesn't it!"

"Shut up!" Owen shouted, keeping the magnum aimed at his son. "You should have left this alone Scott."

Scott shook his head, replying, "It's a good thing I didn't. Now I know the truth."

Owen raised a brow at him, and asked, "And? What do you plan on doing now?"

"Simple..." Scott said before proceeding to crack his knuckles. "I'm gonna beat the ever loving shit out of you."

The marine chuckled a little at the comment. "Really? Scott, you're obviously forgetting who's holding the gun here."

Smirking, Scott looked his dad in the eye and said, "Not really. But you see pop, the gun ain't gonna do you much good without bullets."

The grin on Owen's face was gone in an instant.

After processing the comment for a few seconds, he asked, "What the hell are you talking about?"

"It's actually quite simple." Scott replied. "Because you see, pop, I knew you had a magnum stored away in your room, and when you went off to make that hot coco, I went upstairs and dug around. I found your magnum, took out the loaded magazine and replaced it with an empty one."

Silence followed for a long moment as Owen processed this information.

Finally, after a long minute, he started to laugh. "Hahaha! You crack me up Scott! Really, you're a regular comedian!"

Scott frowned a little, and asked, "What's so funny?"

Owen wiggled the magnum in his hand, and replied, "You really think I'd be so stupid, that I wouldn't consider every possible scenario?"

"The hell are you talking about?" Scott asked, curious.

His father chuckled now, and added, "You see Scott, I knew that you knew that I had a magnum stored away so I came prepared. And in this case, I made sure that I had a spare magazine hidden away. So when I retrieved the magnum, I made sure to check and make sure it was loaded, then I went and retrieved the spare magazine. And now, you've only ended up making yourself look stupid. It was a very nice try though, I'll give you that."

Scott sighed, slowly shaking his head as he replied, "I'm afraid you're the one who looks stupid right now, pop."

Owen stopped laughing, and narrowed his eyes at his son. "What? What are you talking?"

"It's actually quite simple." Scott started, adding, "Because you see pop, I knew that you knew that I knew that you knew that I knew you would have a magnum stored away. So I made sure to double-check and make sure you didn't have any spare magazines hidden away, and when I found your spare one, I emptied the entire thing and replaced all of the bullets with blanks."

"..."

"..."

"..."

Again, silence followed as Owen tried to process the information, taking a long moment before deciding that it had to be a trick.

"You're lying." He said.

Scott smirked a little at him. "Try me."

Owen pondered it for a long, long moment.

He knew Scott had a tendency to bullshit his way out of situations sometimes, but what made it really difficult to figure out whether he was being honest or not was the poker face he'd always put on when he was doing it.

And in this case, he was having a hard time trying to figure out if he was being honest or not about the blanks.

In the end, Owen decided with a low "Fuck it." before tossing the gun aside.

He cracked his knuckles and glared daggers at his son. "Alright, let's do this your way Scott."

* * *

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **Treatment Plant********************************************

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **'Rebecca, Billy, Bryan, Danny'************************************************************************************************************************************

The four survivors spent a short while resting up, mostly in silence other than a few brief exchange of words here and there.

Rebecca had made sure to check on each of them to make sure everyone was okay before they moved on, having to bandage up Danny and give him what medical assistance he needed, just enough for him to move on with little difficulty.

Billy needed no medical attention, and Bryan, well, he may not have needed physical medical attention, but he certainly needed it mentally, and the situation they were in right now was not helping his condition at all.

Despite wanting to rest up a little longer, for Bryan and Danny's sake anyway, Rebecca also knew that they were close to finally making it out of the facility, and reluctantly agreed with Billy that they needed to move on immediately.

Thankfully, Danny agreed, albeit he was just as reluctant as Rebecca, whereas Bryan silently got up and moved on without a word, much to the STARS medic's concern.

When the four survivors made their way to the engine room, they encountered a small group of zombies, much to their chagrin.

Billy, as expected, took the lead and gunned down each zombie with perfectly aimed headshots as he led the way through the engine room, while Rebecca followed behind him with the others to provide support.

As they neared the door at the end, Rebecca noticed a lack of reaction from Bryan as they watched Billy gun the zombies down, and again, she couldn't help but feel concerned. Whereas before, he always seemed to cringe or flinch at the sight zombies being shot, now, he didn't even react, he was either keeping his head down the entire time or he just looked on with a very blank stare.

Once the zombies were dealt with, Billy moved on, leading the way into a fenced area and towards the door just up ahead that led to the incinerator.

If the map Danny was talking about was accurate, the cargo lift was just past the incinerator.

They were almost there, just a little further.

Letting Billy continue to take the lead, Rebecca waited until he opened the door and entered, she then gestured for the two civilians to enter next before she followed them through.

As they expected, the room was quite hot, though they sort of welcomed the heat given how cold they were earlier.

What they didn't expect however was to see the room completely crawling with leeches.

"Welcome, young ones."

On the balcony above, the cloaked young man slowly emerged into their view.

"So glad you have joined the party."

Danny balled his hand into a fist at the sight of the man, shouting, "You!"

The cloaked man turned and smirked at them, and said, "You are the guests of honour. After all, it's your wake." He chuckled.

"Who are you?" Billy asked.

Rather than answer, the cloaked man's appearance slowly changed, and in the blink of an eye, he was gone, replaced by a familiar old man.

Billy was the first to speak upon identifying the old man. "Dr. Marcus?"

"No, you can't be. What's going on?" Rebecca asked in disbelief.

Dr. Marcus chuckled, and replied, "Ten years ago, Spencer had me assassinated."

The images of those days flashed through the old man's mind in the blink of an eye.

* * *

 _The image of him examining one of his leeches, before a pair of soldiers barge in, spraying the lab and his equipment with gunfire, and Dr. Marcus himself, who fell to the floor in a bloody mess, followed by one of his leeches._

 _The unforgettable image of William Birkin and Albert Wesker entering the lab, approaching him, standing over him as they mocked him._

 _"Time to die, Doctor." Wesker said._

 _"I will take over your research." Birkin added, before laughing._

 _His supposed last words that he weakly uttered out before he died. "Wesker...Birkin..."_

 _The image of him being thrown into the water, sinking below as the water is stained red with his blood, obscuring his vision before darkness takes him._

 _But most importantly, the image of his queen leech, entering his corpse, and giving him life again._

* * *

"However, something wondrous happened. It took the T-Virus inside of my queen years to procreate my new life."

Dr. Marcus' appearance slowly changed, the cloaked young man replacing his older self.

"I live." He said with an insane grin. "Now I will have my revenge on Umbrella, and the world will burn in an inferno of hate!" He added before laughing maniacally.

Shaking his fist, Billy then pointed at the young Dr. Marcus and said, "You'll pay for what you've done!"

Bryan then took a step forward, glaring at the cloaked man as he said, "You were the one who attacked the train...you were the one who killed all of those people..."

He tightened his grip around the gun in his hand, a cold and murderous look in his eyes as he added, "And you were the one who killed Kyle. You're dead, you hear me? DEAD!"

"We'll see which one of us is gonna die!" Dr. Marcus laughed in response, until his laughter was cut short when he started to vomit up slime.

He then started vomit up leeches, much to the disgust of the survivors.

"Oh come on man, that ain't right." Danny said, cringing at the sight.

As if vomiting up leeches wasn't bad enough, the young Dr. Marcus' body began to ripple and mutate.

His entire body changed, mutating until there was no longer a human being left, replaced by a giant leech-like monster.

The mutated Dr. Marcus jumped into the air, clinging to the ceiling before leaping down in front of the four survivors.

All of them backed away, guns raised as they prepared to take this monster down once and for all.

A determined Bryan remained in place however, filled with a desire for vengeance as he raised his weapon on the monster leech.

"TIME TO PAY YOU BACK FOR KYLE YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

* * *

 **Raccoon City**

 **At the same time...**

Alex cast aside his thin leather jacket, not wanting it to get ruined in the middle of the fight.

He knew it wasn't going to be easy, it never was with Matt.

But tonight, he had to make it quick. Scott was out there right now about to kill his dad, and he wanted to make sure he was there to bail him out in case everything went  
south.

"Just so you know Alex..."

The voice of Matt caught his attention.

"I've been spending the whole fucking year toughening myself up in my own personal underground fight club." Matt said, before entering a boxing stance, punching the air a few times, adding "So if you were hoping to get through this quick and easy, you can keep hoping. Cuz it ain't gonna go down that way."

Of course, Alex shouldn't have expected anything less from quite arguably the most determined bastard he'd ever met.

"Wow, you're really committed to this, aren't you?" Alex said with a roll of his eyes.

 _ **(Yakuza 0 OST - Pledge of Demon Full Version)**_

Matt just smirked as he slowly started towards Alex. "Committed eh? Nah. I just love a good fight, and I know that any time I fight you, it's gonna be a great one."

His smirk then disappeared, replaced by a frown as he added, "What I hate, is how every time we fight, you don't have the guts to go all out. You don't have it in you to take whatever opportunity that presents itself, to win no matter what. This is real life bro, and in real life, you only get one, and you gotta put yourself before everything and everyone, nothing else matters, nothing but you. You don't do that however, and that pisses me off, cuz I can only imagine the amazing things you'd be capable of if you stopped being such a selfless tool and put yourself before everyone else. You'd be capable of great things Alex, I know you would."

Fists clenched, Matt stopped a short distance away, adding, "Unfortunately, you'd rather stick to your soft-hearted beliefs of redemption, and refuse to do what needs to be done when the time comes. And it's because of that..." He started towards Alex again, faster this time. "That you won't last long in this fucking corrupted world!"

With that, he rushed towards Alex, closing the distance in the blink of an eye.

He lunged forward with his fist, and shouted, "NOW SHUT THE FUCK UP AND FIGHT ME BITCH!"

Alex reacted quick, landing his fist right across Matt's face, just as Matt's landed across his own.

Both stumbled back in response to the exchange of punches, Alex entering a Muay Thai stance as Matt rushed towards him again.

He used his arms to shield himself from Matt's punches, and he could feel the aching pain his arms were suffering due to those punches. Matt wasn't kidding when he said he toughened himself up, he hit even harder than the last time they fought each other.

Matt continued to throw punch after punch, putting his boxing training to good use.

It wasn't until Matt stopped his barrage briefly to catch a breath, that Alex took the opportunity to strike back.

He grabbed Matt by the head, closing the gap between them before swiftly lifting his knee up into Matt's gut.

Matt tried to throw a punch in response but Alex kneed him in the gut again, then again, then again.

On the fifth knee strike, Matt brought his elbow down, colliding it with Alex's knee.

Both of them growled in pained and backed away from each other, rubbing their respective sore spots.

Matt was quick to move first, and swung a fast kick, but Alex reacted just in time, bringing his leg up and blocking the kick with his knee.

The more aggressive of the two then attempted to go in for another punch, but Alex skilfully sidestepped him, and landed a clean kick across his chest.

Backing away, Matt panted a little, taking just a brief second before moving in to throw another barrage of punches.

Left hook, right hook, uppercut, left hook, right hook, uppercut.

As he blocked what punches he could, Alex had made sure to also observe the pattern in Matt's fighting style.

It made it a little more easier to predict what Matt's next move would be, and when he went for it, Alex ducked under the left hook, and hammered a hard punch across Matt's head, just enough to daze him.

Or rather, that was the plan until Alex noticed Matt continued his assault, surprisingly unfazed by the hit.

He went on the defensive again as he blocked every hook from his opponent, wondering why the hell that punch didn't at least daze him.

Then he remembered who he was fighting, and he felt stupid.

Suddenly, Matt broke off from his attack pattern, lowering himself, and threw a hard punch right into Alex's gut.

Alex coughed in response to this punch, forced to bring his arms down to his stomach.

This was a mistake though, as he left himself open and unguarded, allowing Matt to land a clean left hook across his face.

Stumbling back, Alex supported himself by grabbing onto the fence, coughing again, but Matt didn't give him any time to recuperate.

He grabbed Alex by the shoulder and forcefully turned him around, only for Alex to knock him back with a swift right hook.

Matt recovered quick, and was about to counterattack, but Alex was on him in an instant, grabbing hold of him before bringing his knees up into Matt's gut again.

Alex got in as many strikes as possible before backing off, barely avoiding the elbow that previously caused his knee to ache.

But Matt was quick to go after him, throwing several right hooks that Alex was forced to guard against, before trying to counterattack with a kick to Matt's gut.

This forced Matt to back away, only for a second though, before he went in to attack yet again.

"Dammit Matt! I don't have fucking time for this!" Alex shouted as he tried to block Matt's punches as best as he could.

Matt continued to throw punch after punch, not letting up even as he replied, "Well you're just gonna have to make time Alex cuz neither of us is leaving here until only one of us is standing and the other is on their ass admitting defeat!"

It wasn't long until an idea came to Alex's mind after he heard that.

He knew Matt was prideful especially when it came to throwing fists, and if there was one good thing Alex could admit about him, he was a man of his word.

If this was any other day, or any other night, Alex would humour him, but tonight, he had far more important things to take care of.

As Matt continued to throw right and left hooks at him, Alex slowly began to lower his guard, little by little, still blocking each strike.

It was only after his arms reached his gut that he went for a slow and very predictable right hook.

Matt dodged the right hook easily, before landing one across Alex's face, sending the latter crashing to the ground.

He stopped, a bit surprised, whether by how easy that was or his own strength, he wasn't really sure.

Alex rubbed his face and spat on the ground, panting lightly for a brief moment as he looked up at Matt, the latter clearly eager for him to get up so they could continue.

"...You win."

"..."

"..."

"...What?"

The look of disbelief slowly starting to show on Matt's face said it all.

Alex shrugged, rubbing his face again as he repeated himself. "You win."

Matt was frozen still as he continued to play those words through his mind.

Even as Alex slowly got back to his feet, he was still trying to comprehend what he had heard.

It was only after Alex fetched his leather jacket that Matt finally broke free from his frozen state and shouted, "HEY!"

When Alex turned to face him, Matt said, "What the fuck do you think you're doing?! I know you're not even close to being done yet!"

"You said it yourself Matt." Alex said, much to Matt's confusion, before adding, "I was down on my ass, you were still standing, and I admitted defeat. You win, I lost, easy enough to understand, right?"

Matt clenched his fists and took a large step forward, ready to hit Alex, but stopped, and seemingly, hesitated.

Alex sighed, putting his leather jacket back on before turning his back to him. "As anticlimactic as this may seem, a win is a win, and a loss is a loss. Next time we see each other again Matt, I hope we'll be sharing a drink or something instead of throwing fists." He started to walk away. "So long."

"Get back here!" Matt shouted, remaining where he stood as he watched his opponent walk away. "We're not done yet! You think you can just throw a fight and walk away?!"

No answer.

Matt grit his teeth and shouted again, "WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?! STAINING MY WIN LIKE THAT?!"

Again, no answer.

"You can keep looking for creative ways to avoid the fight all you want! But sooner or later you WILL have to fight me with everything you've got! YOU HEAR ME ALEX?!"

Once again, no answer.

And as Alex started to disappear into the shadows of the streets, Matt growled and left him with one last statement.

"You...You better not hold back next time. Cuz I sure as hell won't."

Despite him having quieted down, Alex still heard him, and simply walked on.

He let silence be his answer.

* * *

 **Elsewhere...**

Scott and Owen stared each other down for what seemed like minutes.

Both knew the other was tough in their own way, but it had been a good long while since they last saw each other.

And in that time, Scott had done nothing but work out and make sure he was as fit as he could possibly be, to make sure he was as strong as he could be possibly be.

Of course, that didn't mean he could just underestimate his dad, as the latter always had his own training routine that he always stuck to.

Either way, Scott didn't care.

Right now, he needed to punch someone, he needed to punch his dad, and put him in his place.

Cracking his knuckles, Scott said, "...Your lies and abuse of your position in the marines got Randy killed, and got Billy sent to his death. You're not gonna get away with that."

Owen just shrugged, smirking a little as he replied, "I already have Scott."

"Not for long." Scott responded, getting into a stance. "I'll make sure of it."

The older marine balled his hands up into fists and mirrored him, going into a stance, and replied, "Come on then son, show me if you've still got some bite behind that bark."

"I will..." Scott grit his teeth, his calm look finally breaking, replaced by an intense look of rage.

"THIS IS FOR RANDY AND BILLY YOU MOTHERFUCKER!"

 _ **(Yakuza 0 OST - With Vengeance)**_

Scott was already running towards his dad, grabbing onto him upon reaching him and managing to take him down to the floor with ease.

He wasted no time hammering his fists down onto his dad, who shielded himself with his arms in an attempt to block every punch being thrown at him.

Owen finally stopped the flurry of attacks when he grabbed Scott's wrist, stopping the next punch before pushing him off and jumping back to his feet.

Scott quickly recovered and was back on the attack, throwing another flurry of left and right rooks.

But Owen was ready this time, dodging, ducking or blocking every punch thrown at him.

When Scott finally pulled back to catch his breath, Owen retaliated, and threw his own flurry of punches at his son.

Of course, Scott was just as ready as he was, and dodged each of them with ease. When Owen went for the next left hook, Scott ducked, and delivered a strong punch to his gut.

Owen felt it, but wasn't as fazed as Scott expected him to be, much to the latter's surprise.

He ducked under another hook, and landed another clean punch on Owen's side.

The older marine backed off a step, but was still barely fazed by the strike, again, to Scott's surprise.

Noticing this, Owen threw another hook, only for Scott to duck under it again.

This time however, Owen blocked Scott's next punch, catching his fist with his hand before pulling him in to deliver a strong knee to his gut.

Scott coughed, backing away as he held a hand against his stomach, surprised by just how much that one hurt.

Owen grinned and threw another punch, but Scott dodged, circling around him and getting a little distance between them.

Despite the few successful exchanges, Scott already had a pretty good idea to what was going on, and it made him doubt himself for a moment.

When Owen closed in to continue the fight, Scott dodged his next punch, circling behind him but keeping himself close this time.

Just as the older marine turned to face him, his son landed a clean left hook across his face.

It fazed him for just a quick second.

Then he recovered just like that and returned the favour, hammering a left hook across Scott's face, dazing the ever loving hell out of him.

So dazed in fact, that Scott staggered away and had to lean against the wall for support just to keep himself on his feet.

"COME ON SCOTT!"

Hearing his dad shouting his name, Scott eventually recovered.

Just in time to see Owen's next punch coming.

He tilted his head to the side, just barely dodging, causing Owen's fist to strike the wall instead.

Scott looked, and was frozen for just a few brief seconds as he looked upon the large crack on the wall left by his old man's punch, confirming his earlier suspicion.

With the older marine wide open, Scott pushed him away and threw the quickest strikes that he could manage.

He connected, thankfully, and as he continued to hammer away, Scott started to notice his old man panting, and quickly realised the side effect was kicking in.

This was the opportunity he needed.

Spreading his arms, he goaded his dad into attacking him. "COME ON POP! GIMME YOUR BEST SHOT!"

Owen grit his teeth and roared furiously as he rushed at Scott, arm raised, fist clenched, unwilling to hold back.

He threw his fist forward.

Scott sidestepped it, grabbed his dad by the shoulder, forcefully turned him around, and delivered a powerful uppercut that sent him slightly into the air.

When he watched his old man land flat on the floor, he relaxed a little and backed away.

For just a moment though, Owen tried to get back up, tried, and failed.

And when it was clear he wasn't getting back up, Scott fell to his knees, and heaved a sigh of relief.

* * *

 **Treatment Plant**

 **'Rebecca, Billy, Bryan, Danny'**

The Queen Leech was furious when Bryan fired a clean shot at its head, and the four survivors were forced to scatter around the incinerator as it pursued them.

Despite him wanting to help, Rebecca and Billy firmly told Danny to hide away while they dealt with the monster responsible for the nightmarish situation they were in. That, and Danny was really in no condition to be fighting at this point.

As soon as he hid away, the two more experienced survivors chased after the Queen Leech, who was too distracted by Bryan's gunshots to pay attention to them.

"Hey! Ugly!" Billy shouted, catching the monster's attention.

Bryan used the distraction to bail out of the corner he was trapped in.

The monster caught him however and reached out, smacking him aside and into the wall.

Despite the aching pain coursing through his body, Bryan fought through it and fired the handgun, unloading every bullet he could into the monster.

For a moment, the Queen Leech was about to go after him, until the combined firepower of Billy and Rebecca's weapons caught its full attention.

It screeched, and lunged at them, but the two split off and circled around it, Billy continuing to shoot it while Rebecca ran to Bryan's side.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

Bryan rubbed his side and nodded, "I'm fine. We need to kill that thing."

Rebecca was taken aback by his words for a moment, but she knew he was right, there was no time to waste. She got back to her feet and ran over to help Billy, while Bryan took the magazine that she gave him and reloaded the handgun, or at least tried to.

The Queen Leech grabbed Billy's shotgun as he attempted to reload, and yanked it from his hands, then attempted to grab hold of him.

Fortunately, the marine was quick enough to roll out of the way.

"Billy!" Rebecca called out, firing a few bullets into the monster.

When the Queen Leech turned to her, Billy used the distraction to retrieve his shotgun and reloaded it as fast as he could.

The STARS medic backed away from the monster as it closed in on her, firing all the bullets she had, until her gun was empty.

Again, the Queen Leech stretched out one of its limbs and attempted to smack her aside, but Rebecca ducked, avoiding the hit, her experience fighting the leech monsters had helped her get used to those attacks.

After several attempts, Bryan finally managed to reload his handgun and ran to Rebecca's side, as did Billy, who aimed at the Queen Leech with his loaded shotgun.

The two fired off a few shots into the monster, forcing it back a few steps, giving Rebecca just enough time to reload her weapon too.

The Queen Leech screeched in response to the shots, and was about to attack them again, until...

"HEY!"

It turned around and looked over at Danny, who was currently holding a Molotov cocktail in his hand.

"Burn in hell motherfucker."

Danny threw the Molotov at the Queen Leech.

The bottle shattered against it and the monster was engulfed in flames, screeching loudly as it flailed about.

"NOW! FINISH IT!" Danny shouted.

He didn't have to tell them twice.

Rebecca, Billy and Bryan fired their weapons at the Queen Leech, unloading every bullet, every shell, making sure every single one of them hit their mark.

The monster continued to screech in pain, flailing about everywhere as it seemingly attempted to put out the flames that burned away its body, only to fail.

Finally, when the weapons were empty and the Queen Leech ceased to move, the survivors lowered their weapons.

The four survivors looked on in silence as the remains of the monster continued to burn away.

And once they were finally convinced that it was finally dead, they moved on.

"Is it...is it over?" Danny asked.

Rebecca nodded, "I...I think so. I hope so."

"Good. Cuz that was the last bottle I had in the bag." Danny said, relieved.

Billy looked over at Bryan, who continued to look at the burning remains of the monster with a cold stare.

Placing a hand on his shoulder, he waited until the young teen looked at him slightly, before telling him, "Come on Bryan, let's get out of here."

Bryan stared at him for a second, then back at the burning monster.

After taking in its burning remains one last time, he turned and walked on.

Looking around, the four survivors made their way to the large metal doors on the other side of the incinerator and opened them.

When they entered, they finally found what they were looking for.

"This is the cargo lift, right?" Danny asked as he stared at the large cargo lift.

Billy nodded. "Yep."

Danny looked up at him, and asked, "So, we're about to make it out of here, right?"

The marine smiled now. "Yep."

With the cargo lift right in front of them, the way out was just up ahead.

Their luck would have to be terrible for things to go wrong now.

* * *

 **Authors Notes: Yes I know, I know, fights were brief and rushed, as was this chapter, you don't need to point that out to me, I'm still mentally kicking myself for letting this chapter drag on this long, it was supposed to be way shorter than this. And yeah I'm using some music from the Yakuza games, but those games have some really great fight music, and I just couldn't resist. Plus, I just wanted to finish this chapter and HOPEFULLY finish the next one and get the Epilogue finished before the end of the year. It's really just been stressing me out now and I want to get it done as soon as possible so I can finally move on and take a nice long break. As for the Limbo side-story, I'm sure I don't need to point out who's behind those drugs, I imagine it would be pretty obvious.**

 **Anyway, that's that, I'll try and get the next chapter up and posted soon hopefully, and I imagine the Epilogue won't be far behind.**

 **Now normally this is the part where I ask for Reviews and feedback, but I've been getting spammed with a lot of guest reviews lately so I'll just say this, I would really appreciate it if people stopped spamming me with guest reviews. Writing these stories is stressful enough, spam only adds to that stress, so I would really appreciate it if people stopped spamming the guest reviews. If you have concerns or questions about the REwrites or future ETE stories then just make an account and private message me and I'll answer those questions no problem.  
**


	14. Another Day

**Wow, so this chapter may not have taken me as long to write, but damn it certainly was a hard one to put into words. I also never expected it to be this long, but, eh, whatever. Anyway, with this chapter now up, that leaves just the EPILOGUE. We're almost there, and I expect I'll have the Epilogue finished either in a couple of days, or maybe even sooner than I think. It all depends on how much free time I can find to write.**

 **That said, I'll be leaving a very important Authors Note in the Epilogue chapter, so when I do eventually post that, make sure to read it. Anyway, let's just get right to it.**

 **Disclaimer: Resident Evil and its characters belong to Capcom obviously, any Original characters in this story belong to me.**

* * *

 ** ** ** ** ** **Chapter 14:  
 ** ** ** ** ** **  
 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **'Another Day'********************************************

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **Treatment Plant********************************************

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **'Rebecca, Billy, Bryan, Danny'************************************************************************************************************************************

After a long night of enduring countless zombies and monsters, the four survivors were finally on the verge of escaping the horrific nightmare that never seemed to end.

For the moment, they stopped to rest, needing it after the close call with Dr. Marcus, or rather, the Queen Leech.

While Billy was checking on their weapons and ammo, Rebecca checked to make sure she had plenty of her medical supplies left, and even though there weren't that much remaining, the fact that they were nearly out led her to believe they wouldn't be required.

As for Bryan and Danny, the two civilians were just too exhausted, the latter more so due to the injuries he was still recovering from, and seated themselves on the cargo lift, simply waiting for someone to pull the lever.

The STARS medic, concerned for their well-being, checked on them, first on Danny, who put on a brave face and refused further medical attention, instead pointing to his friend and suggesting that the medic check on him instead.

He didn't have to tell her twice.

Approaching the young teen, who was sitting in the corner of the cargo lift, Rebecca kneeled down next to him, looking at him with genuine concern.

"Are you okay?" The STARS medic asked, quietly and gently.

When Bryan slowly raised his head and looked up at her, she was surprised to see he no longer had that cold look in his eyes.

His eyes had returned to that soft, kind and friendly look that she had gotten so used to overnight, the look that she missed after that close call with the Proto Tyrant a little while ago. The very fact that she missed that look said enough, it simply showed just how close the two of them had become throughout the whole ordeal.

"Bryan?" Rebecca spoke up again.

The young teen nodded, and looked away. "I'm fine. I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

Placing a hand on his shoulder, the STARS medic replied, "...Are you, feeling any stress at all? Anything on your mind?"

He shook his head, this time offering her a gentle smile. "Rebecca, I'm fine. Honest."

She couldn't help but worry about him, but when he offered that smile, she couldn't help but return it, and decided not to press any further.

"How's our ammo?" Danny asked Billy as he was checking on his guitar.

Billy responded with a sigh, "Not much. Still some bullets left, a few shells, but that's it. I don't imagine we'll be needing it anymore though."

Rebecca then spoke up, "Can't be too careful."

The former marine nodded, and then made his way over to the lever that controlled the cargo lift. "Alright, you all ready to get out of here?"

Danny saluted him. "You're damn right."

"No objections from me." Rebecca shrugged and smiled a little.

Bryan simply gave the former marine a thumbs up and a nod.

"Alright..." Billy said, before proceeding to pull the lever. "Let's do it."

The entire cargo lift began to move in response, and slowly started to ascend upwards, away from the facility.

Finally, they were finally about to make it out.

* * *

 **Raccoon City**

 **At the same time...**

Scott was looking at his dad the entire time he was catching his breath, keeping a careful eye on him to make sure he wasn't going to try and get back up to continue the fight.

Normally, Scott would have no problem continuing a fight, but this was probably the first time in his life that he was actually hoping to avoid having to fight any further. All it took was just one long glance at the large crack in the wall a few feet away, the damage left by his dad's fist, and Scott knew right then and there, he'd rather not continue fighting.

"Scott..."

The older marine's voice caught his attention, and Scott looked back over at him. "What?"

Owen remained flat on his back, staring up at the ceiling the entire time as he replied, "There was something I didn't tell you."

"Not really surprised." Scott straightened himself a little, and asked, "What is it?"

His dad waited for a moment, clearly trying to figure out the best way to word his response.

When he did, he replied, "I went through with the Limbo Project because I wanted to save the lives of marines, but there was another reason why I went through with it, why I had no choice but to go through with it."

Scott said nothing, and just listened intently.

Owen let out a loud sigh, and added, "...The suits in charge of Project Limbo, threatened to kill your mother."

If Scott's complete attention wasn't on him a second ago, it certainly was now. "The fuck did you say?" He asked, rising to his feet and looking very pissed off.

His dad slowly sat up, and looked him in the eye. "I honestly don't know why they chose me of all the officers at the base, but they did. And because I'd already known about the project before I agreed to it, they needed to find a way to make sure I wasn't going to try and go behind their backs and expose it. They threatened to kill your mom, if I even so much as attempted to try and leak information about the project."

Scott was silent.

"They were watching my every move, and no matter how badly I wanted to tell someone, I just couldn't, because every single time the idea of telling someone came to mind, I immediately thought of your mother. And you." Owen explained. "And ultimately, I had no choice but to agree to help with the project."

Again, Scott was silent, simply processing everything he was hearing.

Owen sighed again, and added, "It was all supposed to be simple. Things were never meant to get out of hand the way they did, and yet they did. Waller's addiction, and Coen's execution."

"And mom leaving?" Scott asked.

The older marine looked up at him for a second, and replied, "...That was her plan."

Scott's eyes widened a little. "What?"

Owen nodded, adding, "Your mom knew something was wrong. She asked what was going on, and I didn't tell her at first. But, you know her, she never stopped asking, and eventually I did tell her. And when I was explaining the entire situation to her, she just listened, and she understood, she understood the gravity of the situation I was in, that we were in. She knew that all of it could not be handled with a simple call to the police, it was much bigger than that."

Once again, Scott listened intently, eager to get more answers and find out the truth.

"Instead, to ensure I didn't have to worry about her, your mom suggested moving to the UK, where she would be safe and away from those bastards." Owen explained, and added, "So we arranged a little act in public, where I knew they'd be watching."

And just like that, it hit him, and Scott couldn't help but ask, "The argument that led to you two breaking up?"

"Exactly." Owen nodded. "We broke up in public, and your mom packed her things and moved to the UK to live with her parents. She was safe from harm, and I was able to do some, careful digging, without having to worry about threats anymore. Unfortunately, I never found anything concrete enough to expose the bastards, and when I felt they were starting to catch on to me, I backed off to keep them from suspecting me any further than they already did."

Scott raised a brow at him, "I'm surprised they didn't threaten my life."

"Oh they did." Owen said, chuckling now. "But I knew I didn't have to worry about you, because I know anyone they'd send after you would only end up getting their ass kicked."

This prompted a small chuckle from Scott, who then asked, "But what about mom? Did she not ask about me too?"

Owen nodded again. "She did. She wanted to take you to the UK, but I convinced her to let you stay, because if you left, that would mean you'd have to leave your friends too. And I know how close you are to them, protective in fact, like you're their big brother."

Scott looked away, feeling...awkward.

"So...there you have it. That's the whole story." Owen said.

However, there was still one thing Scott had yet to ask, that his dad had yet to tell him.

"No, pop. That isn't everything." He said.

The older marine looked at him, confused now. "What are you talking about?"

Scott looked him in the eye, and said, "You still haven't told me the most important part."

Again, Owen looked confused.

"You haven't told me who these bastards are." Scott said.

That was the one thing the older marine hoped his son wouldn't ask.

With a sigh, Owen simply responded with, "You're better off not knowing. I'm already a target now, son. But as long as you don't know, they'll have no reason to go after you."

"I don't give a shit about that. Tell me, who's behind all of this!" Scott demanded.

Owen just looked at him.

For a long moment, Scott's dad just looked at him in silence, as if he was pondering on whether or not to tell him, to give him the answer he wanted.

However, before any answer could be given, Owen, eyes widened, jumped to his feet and ran towards his son.

Scott, for just a second, balled his hands up into fists and braced himself for a fight.

Until his father ran past him, then behind him, putting himself between Scott and a thin red laser.

Glass shattered, and the first thing Scott saw when he turned around was his father falling, a bullet fired right through his chest.

Scott caught him, fell down with him, and examined his wound for just a brief second, before glaring death at the window where the bullet had come from. More specifically, the red laser that continued to scan the hall they were in.

Acting quick, he rolled to the side and grabbed his dad's magnum, before standing up and unloading several shots in the direction of the red laser, shattering the window completely.

The red laser quickly disappeared in response to his shots, but Scott ran over and, carefully, scanned the outside for movement, making sure the shooter was gone.

A car drove off down the street, speeding away until it was out of sight.

Even if he wanted to chase after it, it was already too far away for him to catch up.

Not that Scott was intending to go after it to begin with.

He was already back at his dad's side, kneeling down next to him as he examined his wound.

Owen chuckled through his coughing, and said, "You didn't...replace those rounds with blanks. I knew...I, knew you were full of shit."

Scott fought back a grin, and replied, "We gotta get you to a hospital."

"No...no. I won't make it." Owen said, coughing again. "And even...if by some goddamn miracle I did, they'd just kill me there...anyway."

His son looked confused now, "The hell are you talking about old man? Who the hell are these bastards?"

Owen sighed, slowly shaking his head as he replied, "They control...the hospitals. They control the police. They control...everything. The whole damn city...Scott. They...control it all."

Scott did his absolute best to fight back the tears that were threatening to leak from his eyes, and asked, "What kind of fucking conspiracy shit is that huh? Come on man, stop fucking around!"

"I'm...not!" Owen coughed again. "Listen to me...Scott. The third marine, who fired on the village...with me and Palmer. He...works for them. He's the one...who's been watching me...on their orders. The shooter who just...ran off. It's him...I know it." He muttered weakly, and given he looked like he was failing to keep his eyes open, it was clear that he was starting to fade.

"DON'T YOU DARE! DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE DIE ON ME YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Scott shouted, the tears having broke free now, visibly sliding down his cheeks.

Owen managed a little smile at his son's words, and quietly replied, "That marine...he has...the...information you need."

"A NAME! GIVE ME DAMN NAME!" Scott shouted again, quickly wiping his tears away.

To his horror, Owen's eyes slowly began to close, his head going limp against the floor, finally giving in to his fatal injury.

But not before he uttered out a single name.

"Tommy...Callihan."

With that, Owen Calver took his last breath, and ceased to move.

"DAD!"

Scott stared, eyes widened in disbelief.

At first he just wanted to think he was in some bad dream that he'd eventually wake up from.

But he knew this was reality, and no amount of thinking was going to change the sight before him, the sight of his dead father.

Prior to coming here, he had braced himself for the worst, braced himself for the moment that HE would have to pull the trigger on his old man.

Yet, now that he looked at the dead marine before him, he realised now that he was just fooling himself. There was just no way he would have been able to pull the trigger if it had come to it, there was just no way in hell that he would have had the courage to kill his own father.

And now he felt nothing but grief, and regret.

Regret that he stopped talking to the older marine, regret that he accused him of ruining their family, regret that he actually considered the idea of killing him earlier.

And...grief.

Grief, that his own father was dead.

Dead, all because the marine saved his life.

All of the grief that he felt, was eventually consumed by a burning rage.

Fists tightening, Scott rose to his feet, and glared at the shattered window. "Callihan...that son of a bitch."

Tommy Callihan was an asshole punk among the marines.

Certainly the kind of guy Matt himself would hang out with.

He was good, but his attitude and personality was completely unfit for the marines, yet somehow he never got kicked out.

Perhaps he was backed by the suits in charge of Project Limbo prior to joining, or perhaps he wasn't the only one who was secretly taking orders from them.

Either way, it didn't matter anymore.

Scott had a new target and he already swore to himself that Callihan was going to pay, him and the ones behind Project Limbo.

"You're dead, Callihan. You and those bastards. You can all hide if you want, but I will fucking find you eventually." Scott said.

Before he left, Scott went back up to his father's room to retrieve something.

He knew his old man had some of it stashed away, he must have, given he used it on himself earlier before they fought each other.

It didn't take long for him to find it.

A metal briefcase.

Inside it, were dozens of samples of Project Limbo.

For just a moment, Scott considered the idea of destroying it.

Then decided against it.

Perhaps, perhaps he could find a good use for it.

He closed the briefcase and took it with him.

When he made his way back downstairs, he glanced over at his dad.

As much as he wanted to stay here and grieve a little longer, it was only going to be a matter of time before someone found out what happened.

He wanted to grieve, but he forced himself not to. He couldn't let his emotions get the better of him, he never did, that's why making hard decisions was always easy for him.

With that, Scott stared at his father one last time, before forcing himself to look away.

He exited the house, and walked on.

The only thought running through his mind now, was trying to figure out what he was going to say to Alex and the others, and to Cindy.

It was going to be a long walk.

* * *

 **Treatment Plant**

 **'Rebecca, Billy, Bryan, Danny'**

The small group of survivors were silent the entire time as they waited for the cargo lift to take them to freedom.

Billy was checking his equipment, while Danny was busy admiring his guitar, which was thankfully still intact, much to his relief.

Rebecca was seated next to Bryan, still keeping an eye on him despite him reassuring her earlier that he was fine. One couldn't be too careful though, especially after the sudden and very unexpected change in his personality  
earlier, the STARS medic simply wanted to make sure he was okay, if not physically, then at least mentally.

Everything was quiet besides the sound of the cargo lift moving, and for the first time, the four of them were finally able to relax knowing they were almost out of this long nightmare.

It was a peace and quiet they hadn't really gotten since the main hall back at the mansion, the only difference being that it was much warmer there.

Unfortunately, the peace and quiet was short-lived, interrupted by a loud crash.

"What?" Rebecca was back on her feet in an instant, looking around for the source of the crash.

Billy looked down the shaft, and shouted, "It's the Queen!"

Right enough, the Queen Leech, clearly mutated and bigger than before, could be seen down the shaft, emerging from a hole in the wall just below them.

Bryan and Danny looked over the railing and were hit with a wave of mixed feelings.

Dread for one.

And anger, from Bryan specifically, who looked visibly furious.

Suddenly, an alarm went off.

 ** _"The self-destruct system has been activated. All personnel evacuate immediately. Repeat."_**

While Bryan was too focused on glaring daggers at the Queen Leech to react, Danny facepalmed, and chuckled into his hand, "Oh you gotta be kidding me. This is a joke right?"

"Who activated the self-destruct system?!" Rebecca asked.

Billy didn't respond, too occupied with tampering the controls, trying to get the cargo lift to move faster, if it was possible. "Come on! Can't this thing move any faster?!"

The Queen Leech started rampaging its way up the shaft, chasing after the survivors.

"Shit! Brace yourselves!" Bryan shouted.

By the time they reached the cargo room at the top, the Queen Leech rammed into the cargo lift, throwing the four survivors off of the platform and across the room.

They all avoided injury, thankfully, and quickly got back to their feet as the Queen Leech smashed the cargo lift to pieces and threw it aside, roaring at the four survivors as it approached them.

Suddenly, it stopped, and began to screech in pain.

For a moment, the four survivors were confused, until they began to notice the smoke rising from its body.

As the monster screeched and flailed about in pain, Rebecca was the first to notice the morning sun leaking in through a hole in the roof.

It took her just a few seconds, but eventually the STARS medic figured out the source of the monsters pain, and wasted no time informing the others.

"Billy! It can't handle sunlight!" She looked around, and added, "We need to open the windows!"

Danny managed a little chuckle at that, and said, "Wow, that's some vampire shit if I ever heard any."

The former marine scanned the room, and saw one of the locking mechanisms for the gate.

"Follow me!" He said, leading the others to the mechanism's handle.

Bryan then asked, "How many are there?"

"Four, judging by the gate up there." Danny said, gesturing towards the closed gate above, and the four locks at each side of it.

Before they could act, their attention was caught by the Queen Leech again.

The mutated monster managed to escape the sunlight and started plodding after them, much to their dismay.

"You three work on the windows!" Billy said.

Rebecca nodded in response, having no objections. "Got it!"

Concerned about the former marine though, Bryan asked, "What about you?"

Billy just glared at the approaching monster, and replied, "I'll use my charm to distract her majesty!"

"You've got balls of steel Billy, did I ever tell you that?" Danny said, earning a smirk from the former marine.

Billy then fired his shotgun at the Queen Leech, stunning it briefly, before making a run for it. "NOW!"

Rebecca started working away at the handle for the locking mechanism, while Bryan and Danny split up to find the others.

When the Queen Leech recovered from the shotgun blast, it was about to continue its way forward towards Rebecca, until a shot in the back stopped it in its tracks. It screeched in response, and quickly turned around, its full attention on Billy now, the latter refusing to back down from its intimidating approach.

"Got it!" Rebecca shouted, opening one of the locks.

Just as the STARS medic ran off to find the other one, the Queen Leech stretched out a limb and tried to grab her.

An impressive dodge from the medic, followed up by a well aimed shotgun blast from Billy stopped it momentarily, allowing Rebecca to run on and create some distance between her and the mutated monster. Billy, again, remained where he was, hitting the monster with every bullet and shell he had in order to keep its attention fully on him.

"That's another one Billy!"

The sound of Bryan's voice informing Billy of another open lock was music to the former marine's ears.

Unfortunately, they were unaware of Danny's struggle to turn the handle of the mechanism on his end. Even though his injuries were patched up, they were still very fresh enough that any attempt the young Rockstar made to try and turn the handle was stopped instantly by the aching pain in his ribs.

Rebecca, having reached the fourth locking mechanism, wasted no time trying to open it as fast as she possibly could.

Another attempt to turn the handle on Danny's end failed when the latter couldn't muster up the strength to power through the pain in his ribs. He made another attempt, but the result was just the same, as was the attempt after that, and the desperate attempt after that.

The Queen Leech started spitting out acid all around the room, and Billy was forced to take cover in order to avoid the lethal attack.

When he stepped out to take aim once again, the monster stretched out a limb, and knocked the shotgun out of his hands. It then proceeded to try and hit him, but Billy rolled out of the way and backed off as the Queen approached him again.

Bryan then jumped in, and, without a care in the world, repeatedly stabbed one of the monsters' large arms with his knife, screaming furiously, "FUCKING DIE ALREADY!"

"Bryan! Get away!" Billy shouted.

The Queen Leech instantly turned its attention to the young teen and easily smacked him aside with the same arm he just stabbed a dozen times.

He landed a small distance away, and started to growl in pain as he clutched his knee, his injury from before clearly making an unfortunate return.

"That's this one open!" Rebecca shouted, opening the fourth lock.

Billy looked up at the gate and noticed there was still one lock that hadn't been opened yet, and called out, "Danny! What's going on?!"

Danny grit his teeth, hissing in pain as he made another attempt to turn the handle, but failed.

Again, he attempted to turn the handle, harder this time, but the aching in his ribs was so much that he couldn't help but yell in pain and stopped, leaning against the wall before slumping down to the floor. "B-BILLY I'M SORRY! I CAN'T DO IT!" He shouted, arms gently wrapped around his sides as he started to mentally beat himself up.

Rebecca, hearing him, wasted no time and rushed to the other side of the room as fast as she could. When she saw Bryan on the floor, she stopped, frozen in place for just a brief moment, a need to run in and help him starting to overcome her. But a simple gesture from the young teen, telling her to open the gate, quickly persuaded her to run on.

Billy retrieved his shotgun and reloaded it with the remaining shells he had left, before running to Bryan's side, kneeling down next to him. "You okay?"

A thumbs up was Bryan's response, but the sight of him clutching his knee told Billy enough.

Seeing the Queen Leech approaching again, Billy got to his feet and quickly put himself between it and the injured civilian, before unloading every shell he had. "Come on!"

The monster screeched in response to the shots, but nonetheless continued towards him. Each blast from the shotgun only managed to stagger it briefly, holding it back for just a second before it continued its approach towards the two.

Eventually, the shotgun had no more shells remaining, and Billy was forced to back away from the monster as it now began to approach him unchallenged.

Until the last lock finally opened.

The gate above started to open also, and as it did, the entire room was lit up by the morning sky.

It was the blazing sunlight that stopped the Queen Leech in its tracks however, pouring in all around it and burning away at its body.

Rebecca, who made it to the last mechanism, helped Danny to his feet before running to Billy's aid.

"Billy! Bryan! Are you okay?!" The STARS medic asked.

The two looked at her and either nodded or gave her a thumbs up, until their attention was dragged back towards the Queen Leech.

Screeching and flailing about in pain, the monster knocked Billy and Rebecca aside and started crawling away, retreating towards the shadows of the room that the sunlight couldn't reach.

As Rebecca slowly got back to her feet, something caught her eye.

There was a magnum on the floor, hidden just behind a few wooden boxes.

She didn't need to think about what to do next.

Grabbing the magnum, Rebecca called out, "Billy!" Before tossing it to him.

The former marine saw it, and caught it with ease, before turning and aiming it right at the monster.

"Hey Queenie!" Billy shouted.

Very familiar with a magnum's power, he tightened his grip on the weapon, and braced himself.

"Feast on this!"

He pulled the trigger.

The single magnum round punched a hole right through the slimy body of the monster.

A loud screech, and the Queen slowly fell back into the elevator shaft, falling apart in the process.

Every piece of the Queen Leech's body continued to fall down the shaft, until it was all consumed and destroyed completely by the rising explosion, brought about by the facility's self-destruct system.

If Bryan and the others weren't convinced for a moment that the Queen Leech was dead a second ago, they certainly were now the moment they saw that explosion erupt out of the shaft.

Of course, they didn't get a moment to celebrate their victory however, as the explosion spread, and everything around them began to fall apart.

The STARS medic shielded her face from the explosion, and called out to the others, "Billy! Danny! Bryan!"

"Rebecca! Hurry!" Billy called back as he pushed her towards the exit. "I'll get Bryan!"

While Rebecca and Danny bolted right for the exit, Billy ran to Bryan's side, scooping him up with ease before following after the two. "I got ya kid!" He said to the young teen.

The former marine almost stumbled and fell due to the constant shaking caused by the explosions, but managed to keep his balance and reached the exit, and successfully caught up with the others before running on together.

None of them dared to stop or look back.

* * *

The Umbrella Research Center, overlooking the Raccoon Forest, erupted in a massive explosion.

Nothing remained, nothing but rubble, fire and smoke.

* * *

After barely escaping the explosion, the four survivors stopped to finally catch their breath.

They stood atop the cliff overlooking the forest, giving them a rather nice view of the environment, and the mountains in the distance.

Billy set Bryan on the ground, and after Rebecca gave him the key, unlocked the handcuffs around his wrist.

Without a second thought, he threw the handcuffs off the cliff, before flopping down on his back.

Danny joined him, sitting himself down before opening his guitar case to make sure the instrument was still intact.

To his relief, it was.

Meanwhile, Bryan was rubbing his knee, hoping it would make the aching pain go away quicker. Thankfully, it wasn't as bad now that he was sitting down.

As they all took in the moment to rest up, something caught Rebecca's eye.

"Hey. That must be the old mansion Enrico was talking about." She said.

Billy sat up and looked, as did Bryan and Danny.

Sure enough, as the sunlight washed over the forest, the four survivors could easily make out the roof of a large mansion just far ahead, easily hidden between all of the trees.

"Well..." Danny said, adding, "If that isn't suspicious, I don't know what is."

Bryan nodded slightly, but said nothing.

A long silence followed. A peaceful silence.

One that they made sure to relish every second of.

It was only disturbed when Rebecca leaned down and yanked Billy's dog tag from his neck, prompting the former marine to stand up and look at her.

This caught the attention of Bryan and Danny too, who looked on with curiosity.

After staring at the dog tag for a long moment, Rebecca finally spoke. "I guess it's time to say goodbye."

The two civilians looked confused for a moment, before slowly realising what she might have meant.

Rebecca placed the dog tag around her neck, and added, "Officially, Lieutenant Billy Coen is dead."

"Yeah, I'm just a zombie now." Billy joked.

The STARS medic smiled at his comment, before turning to face him.

He noticed this, and turned to face her as well.

And when he did, she saluted him.

Billy paused for a just a second, before reciprocating her salute.

The two of them stood there for a long few seconds, just taking in the moment, knowing that this would likely be the last time they saw each other.

With that done, Rebecca smiled and lowered her hand.

Billy did the same, before proceeding to give Rebecca a thumbs up. "Thank you, Rebecca."

Again, the STARS medic smiled, a wider smile this time.

"Hold on a second!" Danny said, getting to his feet. "What's going on? We aren't splitting up are we?"

The former marine nodded. "That's exactly what we're doing Danny."

Bryan struggled to his feet, making sure to keep pressure off of his knee, before speaking up. "We can't! Y-You can't go Billy!"

"He has to, Bryan." Rebecca said, getting their attention. "If Billy comes with me, it'll only be a matter of time before we find the Captain. And he'll want to arrest him. I'm not going to let that happen. Not again."

Despite that, Bryan was still reluctant to agree. "But...but still..."

Billy chuckled and approached him. "Hey, relax. Don't you worry about me, I'll be fine." He said, before ruffling Bryan's hair, much to Danny's amusement.

While the young teen was fixing his hair, the former marine turned to Rebecca and asked, "You taking them with you too?"

Rebecca looked at Bryan and Danny for a moment, and replied, "I...have to." She sighed, and said to the two civilians, "I want to get you both home, but it's a long way, and we aren't really in any condition for a long trip. My team are somewhere in that mansion, I think it'd be safer down there, and once we find them, we can see about getting you two home."

Danny shrugged. "A whole STARS team watching our backs while resting up in a big scary mansion in a big scary forest, or limping through said scary forest with only three of us and little ammo. Hmm, decisions, decisions."

"I'd wager that's an easy decision to make if you ask me, Danny." Billy chuckled.

Finally, the young Rockstar agreed. "Fine, fine. Big scary mansion it is."

All eyes were now on Bryan.

The young teen looked like he was struggling to make a choice, but in all honesty, he was more worried about the former marine and what he was going to do.

"But, what about you Billy?" Bryan asked. "What are you going to do? Where are you going to go?"

He was so worried, in fact, that his eyes were starting to tear up.

Something that Rebecca noticed immediately. "Bryan..."

"Come on Bryan..." Billy said, putting a hand on the young teen's shoulder. "I told you already, don't you worry about me and where I'm going. I'm going to be just fine."

Bryan didn't look convinced however, and looked him in the eye before replying, "Promise?"

The response caught the former marine by surprise, but nonetheless, he nodded, and patted his shoulder. "I promise."

Without thinking, the young teen hugged the former marine, and said, "Thank you...for everything."

Again, Billy was caught off guard, but eventually returned the hug.

Rebecca couldn't help but smile, feeling an urge to join in, but refrained from doing so.

Once they pulled away, Danny approached and opened his arms. "Don't I get a hug? We've been through a lot you know."

Billy rolled his eyes and chuckled, before proceeding to exchange a hug with Danny as well, much to Rebecca's amusement.

"We wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for you, you know." Danny said as they pulled away. "We owe you and Rebecca everything, Billy."

The former marine patted his shoulder, and said, "Stop it Danny, you're making this goodbye even harder for me."

Danny nodded. "Ok I'll stop." He laughed, before adding, "Seriously though, I swear we'll pay you back for this one day Billy. If we ever see each other again, we'll buy you a drink."

"Just a drink?" Billy asked, brow raised.

The young Rockstar shrugged. "Ok a few drinks. Right Bryan?"

Bryan nodded. "Yeah, we'll even introduce you to our friends. They're good guys, you'd like them."

"I'm sure I would." Billy said, smiling. "I look forward to that day, you two."

The two civilians slowly backed away, and gave their own little salutes.

Billy chuckled, and saluted back.

"Goodbye Billy." Bryan said.

Danny pointed at his friend. "What he said."

The former marine chuckled. "Goodbye you two. Another day."

With that, Billy Coen turned and walked away.

As he did, it took all of Bryan's willpower to not go after him and beg him to stay.

He wanted so badly to run after the former marine, and persuade him to stay with them, but in the end, he knew Rebecca was right. He couldn't stay with them, because if he did, the other STARS members would arrest him in an instant, and they would unlikely be willing to hear him out.

In the end, it was better this way.

Bryan understood. He didn't like it, but he understood.

Once the former marine was no longer in sight, Bryan sat himself down and looked over the forest below.

"If you don't mind Rebecca..." Danny said as he also sat down on the ground, adding, "We'd like to rest for a little bit before going down there."

The STARS medic nodded. "That's fine, I could use the break myself." She said, sitting down next to Bryan.

He looked at her, and asked, "You think we'll ever see him again?"

Rebecca looked in the direction that Billy left, before turning back, and replying, "Maybe. It's not impossible, I can say that much."

Bryan nodded, and looked back at the forest below.

Suddenly, he remembered something.

He reached into his pocket, and took out a small leather notebook.

"Kyle's notebook. I almost forgot about that." Danny said. When Bryan looked at him, he added, "We never did get a chance to take a look at it."

Bryan tossed him the notebook, letting him do the honours, before turning and looking back at the forest.

Danny caught the notebook, opened it and started reading.

Most of it was just a lot of notes about his job, a few things here and there, talking about how great his office was, how much he admired some of his co-workers, a mention of some girl he had a crush on. There was even a few mentions of Bryan's condition, notes about medicine and some prescriptions.

Other than that, nothing seemed to stick out.

Until he reached the last few pages.

The young Rockstar froze as he gave the pages a quick look, before speaking up.

"Bryan. I think you should hear this." He said.

Rebecca and Bryan both looked over at him, curious.

With their attention on him, Danny started to read out what was written on the last few pages.

 _ **"Danny, Bryan, if you're both reading this, and haven't heard from me in a while, then chances are something has happened to me, and I am most likely no longer with you."**_

Bryan's eyes widened in shock, and Rebecca looked just as surprised.

The young Rockstar waited for a second, before getting the nod to continue.

 _ **"I slipped this notebook into one of your pockets before I left the train, because I wanted to take a few precautions in the event that something went wrong. I wanted you guys to know the truth, and if I'm unable to tell you in person, then I wanted to make sure I could get the information to you another way. The truth is this...I didn't join Umbrella a month ago, I joined up with the company further back. I've been working there for far longer than I told you.**_

 _ **I joined up with Umbrella because I wanted to help people. I thought it would be a brilliant opportunity to put my skills to use for the betterment of not only Raccoon City, but for the health and well-being of its citizens. For a while, the job was amazing, and among my co-workers were some of our old high school friends, so it made it easier to converse with others, and understand how things worked.**_

 _ **However, overtime, those friends of ours went missing, one by one, and despite being assured that they were simply transferred to another facility, I knew better than that. I knew that they weren't the type to just up and leave without informing others, I knew something was going on.**_

 _ **But I kept this to myself, in order to avoid suspicion. I feared something may happen to me if I spoke out, so I remained silent and continued to do my job. When no one was looking however, I did some digging, and I found things. Things you wouldn't believe. Originally my first finding was just a simple combat drug called Limbo, and while at first glance it didn't seem like much, the details clearly said otherwise. It prompted me to dig deeper, and when I did, what I found, shocked the hell out of me.**_

 _ **I discovered information about a Tyrant Virus, and the details behind this virus were just absolutely insane. What really got to me though, was when I managed to dig a little further, I finally found out what happened to our friends. They were experimented on, used a test subjects for this virus, and were disposed off. It pissed me off, and I couldn't just stand by and do nothing anymore. I had to act, but I had to do it carefully.**_

 _ **I knew about the plans to reopen the old Research Facility, and I figured, if I could get myself transferred there, I would have access to all of the concrete evidence that I'd need to expose the company about their secret experiments. I worked hard and loyally for a period of time, earning a name for myself in the company, so when the time came, I was able to easily convince some of the senior executives to transfer me to the facility, they knew**_ _ **they wanted only their best working there, so there was no debate.**_

 _ **By now, I'm hoping Andrew and the rest of the guys are reading this. If all of you are, just know that I only kept this hidden to keep you guys safe, I couldn't afford for something to happen to you guys too. Please forgive me.**_

 _ **These evil people kidnapped our friends, experimented on them, used them as test subjects, and then threw them aside like trash, and I refuse to stand for it. I will go to this facility, and I will find out everything there is to know**_ _ **about these experiments, about this Tyrant Virus.**_

 _ **And when I do, I will take that evidence to the right people, and expose this evil company for what it really is. Or die trying.**_

 _ **It's the least I can do, to avenge our friends."**_

Silence.

Nothing but silence followed.

The three survivors couldn't help but be silent as they processed everything they had heard, or read in Danny's case.

Judging by the start of his message, it seemed as if Kyle was intending to sneak his notebook into Bryan or Danny's pocket before they parted ways. Of course, that didn't happen, as they never exactly made it to the facility as they originally intended. Kyle died in the unexpected Leech attack on the train and was never able to make it to the facility to carry out his plan.

They could tell just by his choice of words, that Kyle had been planning this for a while now.

But all of that planning, had gone to waste.

The Ecliptic Express was attacked, everyone on it besides Bryan and Danny were killed and turned into zombies.

And to top it all off, the very facility that contained the evidence Kyle hoped to use to expose Umbrella, had been completely destroyed.

"...In the end, it was all in vain." Danny sighed, closing the notebook and putting it into his pocket, and, clearly just giving up.

Bryan looked back at the forest below, and, much like Danny, just silently accepted defeat.

Rebecca didn't seem to agree however. "It couldn't have been in vain, at least we know. Right?"

"The facility's gone. That means the evidence is gone. Kyle lost." Bryan balled his hand up into a fist and punched the ground. "WE lost."

Again, the STARS medic refused to agree, and simply asked, "Did we?"

Both Bryan and Danny looked at her.

For a moment, they didn't seem to understand what she was referring to.

However, when she gestured towards the mansion in the forest below, they finally realised what she meant.

"That's right...Umbrella is using that place as a facility too." Danny said.

Bryan nodded, glaring ahead at the mansion. "Then that means we have a second chance. A second chance to finish what Kyle started."

The sudden determination in his tone caught Rebecca by surprise.

Fortunately it was a determination that she shared, as she too wanted to expose Umbrella for their crimes.

"Well, speaking of second chances..." Danny started, taking his guitar out of its case, adding, "I finally have a chance to sit back, relax, and play some tunes. So I hope you don't mind."

Rebecca smiled at him, "We're taking a break anyway, aren't we Danny? By all means, I'd love to hear you play."

The young Rockstar looked reluctant now. "Eh, this is...uh...this is gonna be awkward without the rest of the band..."

"Just sing along if it makes you feel better." Bryan said, keeping his eyes on the forest.

Danny raised a brow, "Well...I do happen to have a pretty good singing voice, thanks for reminding me."

With that, the young Rockstar slowly started to play his guitar, and began to sing along, "Another day...shit."

He messed up, and started again.

Then started again.

"Feeling a little rusty, Danny?" Rebecca asked.

Danny held up a finger. "One second..."

After several failed attempts, he finally got a feel for the song he wanted to play. "Ok, I got it."

 _ **(Drowning Pool - In Memory of)**_

As the young Rockstar started to play away, Rebecca couldn't help but look at Bryan.

Concern washed over her as she noticed a hint of that cold glare in his eyes.

Slowly, she gently took his hand in her own.

This caught his attention, earning a glance from him.

She smiled at him.

His eyes softened a little, and he smiled back at her before looking away at the morning sky.

That's all she wanted to see.

* * *

 **Authors Notes: Apologies if the Queen Leech fight didn't meet expectations or last as long as some of you thought it would. That said, I'd like to think the notebook thing worked out, and I would also like to think the Raccoon City subplots with Alex and Scott were a success in establishing them better.** **I'd also like to think that this story managed to succeed at establishing Bryan and Danny far better than my old Enduring the Evil stories did, you know, the ones I wrote when my writing skills were way worse.**

 **Looking back, Resident Evil 0 wasn't a bad game in my opinion. It had its flaws, sure, but it wasn't bad to the point that it was unplayable, I certainly enjoyed it. Would I be totally fine with it getting the REmake treatment and improve on those flaws though? I suppose I would, although that would then mean I may have to REwrite the damn thing. I dunno, if Capcom decides to give most of the main titles the REmake treatment, by all means, I'll look forward to those, just like I'm looking forward to Resident Evil 3 Remake.**

 **Anyway, once again, there's one chapter left, the Epilogue, so be sure to stick around and keep an eye out because it MIGHT get done much sooner than expected.**


	15. Epilogue

**IMPORTANT: Following this story's completion, disregard all previous Enduring the Evil stories and their link with this one, as the eventual REwrites of those old stories and the slightly differing events will be the new Enduring the Evil canon. I was considering removing all previous Enduring the Evil stories to make way for the REwrites in the future following this fresh start, but I think that would probably be a waste, so if anyone wants me to at least keep those old stories around, well, let me know.**

 **Now with that, I can officially say Enduring the Evil 0 is finished and complete. Took longer than I wanted it to, but at this point I'm not even surprised anymore. Every story I write always takes forever to finish when I'm near the end, but here's hoping things will be different in the future.**

 **Please keep in mind, I intend to take a break from writing Resident Evil fanfiction for a long while, that way I can get around to finishing other stories and projects that I'm working on. So, for the love of god, please don't pester me and constantly ask me when I'm going to start writing Enduring the Evil 1 REwrite. It will be up when it's up, that's all I can say.**

 **Anyway, I don't want to waste too much word space so let's just get to it.**

 **Disclaimer: Resident Evil and its characters belong to Capcom obviously, any Original characters in this story belong to me.**

* * *

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **'Epilogue'********************************************

 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **Raccoon City******************************************

There was plenty to think about during the long walk back to the house.

In the time that went by, Scott was still unsure of what he was going to say to the others. He was especially unsure of what he was going to say to Cindy, after all, she was actually very fond of his old man even though they had only met a few times.

And of course, there was the big conspiracy apparently.

Scott had a gut feeling that if he were to tell the others everything that his dad told him, about Project Limbo, and the mysterious organization that controlled all of Raccoon City, then they were very likely to just laugh in his face and tell him to disregard it.

He wouldn't blame them of course. He too thought it was absurd and absolutely ridiculous, but given everything that happened last night, there was plenty of signs that pointed towards all of it being true. And his dad told him all of this before he was shot and killed by Callihan, an agent for this organization. There was no way his old man would lie about all of this, especially when he was expecting to die.

Either way, he knew what he needed to tell the others, and Cindy, regarding his dad.

As for the big conspiracy, well, he'd have to talk to Andrew and Alex about that first, as they were very likely to believe him far more than the others. For a second, he wondered if he should tell Cindy, and quickly concluded that it would be a terrible idea. He knew right away that if he told Cindy everything, there was no telling who she might accidentally let the information slip to, and would ultimately end up making herself a target.

No, he couldn't let that happen. He wouldn't.

Scott was already pissed off that these people killed his father. If something happened to Cindy too, then...well...he would destroy everything.

At least with the others, he'll always be present and able to make sure no one blurts anything out. But Cindy is often out at work, and talks to a lot of people there, it was just a risk he could not afford to take.

He was so deep in thought that he didn't realise he was walking by the house, and someone, who was standing in the front garden, had to speak up to stop him.

"Wow, ain't like you to be so distracted bro."

Scott stopped in his tracks. He turned and looked at the source of the voice, and responded, "Connor. You're awake."

Connor shrugged, "Well, considerin' all the back and forth goin' on in there, it's kinda hard for a black man to sleep in peace, know what I'm sayin'?"

True enough, the former star quarterback was wearing his pyjamas and house robe, having just recently woke up.

He was fit looking, not as built as Scott, but about as fit as one would expect of a former football player. Dark-skinned and brown eyes, he was half a head shorter than Scott and he looked to be in his early twenties, much like the others. His black hair was very, very short, buzz cut short in fact, a hairstyle he was very proud of and has been sporting for a long time. He always liked to think of himself as a star rapper in the making, and he would have looked the part were it not for the house robe and pyjamas.

"So, what's up?" Connor asked.

Rather than answer, Scott instead asked, "Is Alex back yet?"

A nod, and Connor said, "Yep. He's just talkin' with Andrew and Jamie right now and-" He stopped, hearing the door open. "And here he comes."

There was a long silence as Alex exited the house, staring directly at Scott. Following him was Andrew and one other person.

Connor's brother Jamie.

Even though they were brothers, one wouldn't think they were due to the obvious differences between them, such as their physique, skin and hair colour. While Connor was obviously the bigger and older of the two, Jamie was a head shorter than him, the shortest person present in fact. His skin tone, clearly different from his brother's, was a little more lighter than the usual normal white, and despite not being big or having some of the square like facial features his brother had, he still looked decently fit for someone as fresh-faced as himself. And as expected of him, his short dark brown hair was combed back to look neat and tidy, and if it wasn't for his house robe, one could have assumed he was going for an interview for an office job.

The only thing he shared with his brother was his dark brown eyes. Of course, there was one subtle difference. While Connor's eyes had a bit of a softer look to them, making him look friendly and approachable, Jamie was the complete opposite. There was a slight hardened look there, a glint in his eyes that made it difficult to figure out what was going through his mind.

"Andrew. Jamie." Scott addressed them.

"Scott." While Andrew waved, and addressed him back by name, Jamie just gave a small nod.

Having been told by Alex what Scott had set out to do last night, they were all looking at the largest member of their group with anticipation, clearly waiting to hear what happened.

Mentally, Alex was bracing himself for bad news, heartbreaking news that he wasn't sure he wanted to hear.

Connor and Andrew were the same, the latter looking far more calm and composed compared to Connor and Alex.

While Jamie, just stared silently, masking his emotions with a blank expression.

Finally, Scott decided to tell them.

"He's dead."

Those two words earned mixed reactions from the group.

Alex and Connor, eyes widened in shock, overcome with grief, even Jamie's blank mask broke out in surprise a little.

But Andrew didn't react, and instead asked, "Your posture and the manner of your tone tells me there's a 'but' coming next."

Scott nodded, and the others listened.

"But..." Scott started, adding, "I wasn't the one who killed him."

Relief was the first emotion they all felt.

Followed up by curiosity.

Alex was the first to respond immediately, and asked, "Who did then? Do you have any idea?"

"Tommy Callihan." Scott replied. "Some asshole marine that was part of my old man's unit. Apparently he was under orders to keep an eye on my old man."

Confusion now.

"What do you mean under orders to keep an eye on your old man? What the hell is that supposed to mean? Whose orders?" Alex asked.

Scott shrugged. "There's a lot that needs to be said. I don't even know where to begin."

Alex sighed, mentally wishing things could be simple for once.

Yet, they never are.

"Ok, take a breather first, rest up, then tell us, Scott. In the meantime, I think we should all address the elephant in the garden." Connor said.

Before Scott could ask what he was talking about, Andrew had already answered him. "Bryan and Danny."

Scott looked at each of them for a moment, confused, and asked, "What about them?"

"They haven't come back yet." Jamie finally spoke, quietly, but just loud enough for them to hear him. He then added, "I said the train was probably just running late, but Alex and Andrew here are convinced that something's up."

Alex then responded, "Of course something's up! They were supposed to be back hours ago!"

Jamie just shrugged him off, and said, "Which is why I'm saying the train is probably just running late."

"Not quite." Andrew interrupted. "If you look at it from a specific perspective, the train should not be running late."

Scott sighed, bracing himself for another one of Andrew's long explanations.

"You see, the train in question, is the Ecliptic Express." Andrew started, adding, "Arguably the most expensive train in Raccoon City, and a train solely for use by employees of Umbrella. Keep in mind that Umbrella prides itself on everything it owns, its products, its properties, and make no mistake, they are very serious and protective of their public image. Now, employees at Umbrella take their jobs very seriously, I know this thanks to Kyle, and they are all very strict about making sure they manage to adhere to their schedules. And if that schedule were to be, say, delayed or interrupted, it would certainly upset some of the higher executives.

Now, add in the fact, that the timetable for the train allows it to come and go only a certain number of times per day and night, if it were to leave the station for one destination, then it should be expected back within two or three hours, depending on where its headed. Now, according to Kyle, the timetable last night for the Ecliptic Express had it going out to the facility he was being transferred to, and from what Kyle said, that facility is far out in the Arklay Mountains. If I were to make a calculated guess based on the distance and the speed of the train, I'd wager it would take three, to over four hours for the Ecliptic Express to reach its destination, and then make it back to the station in the city."

Connor shrugged. "That's all well and good Andrew, but maybe you could sum it up for us in the language of just get straight to the point."

Andrew sighed, and responded, "Basically, it's almost impossible for the Ecliptic Express to be running late, because Umbrella executives in charge of it are working hard to ensure their employees are not behind schedule, that's why it's such a popular train, because it's never late, it's always on time. That means, when it set out for its destination in the Arklay Mountains, its return was supposed to be its next and last stop for the night, it SHOULD have come back hours ago."

He then went on to add, "Which also means, Bryan and Danny SHOULD have been back hours ago."

As the rest of them processed this information, Jamie decided to respond. "And I'll say it for the last time. The train is running late, Andrew. You're overcalculating things."

"Ok...Jamie." Andrew replied, looking Jamie in the eye before adding, "Let's say, hypothetically speaking, the Ecliptic Express was running late. I can assure you, with one hundred percent guarantee, it would not be by much. Minutes. Mere minutes at most."

Despite his subtle attempts at masking his emotions, Jamie was visibly annoyed, and refused to accept Andrew's logic, replying with, "Then it broke down."

"Pardon?" Andrew raised a brow.

Jamie nodded, and repeated himself. "The train broke down. It's very common for trains to breakdown and it would perfectly explain why the guys haven't returned yet."

"Not possible." Was Andrew's response.

"...Why?" Jamie asked, quietly fighting back the urge to grit his teeth in frustration.

Andrew then explained, "The Ecliptic Express is constantly checked on for any faults and damages at every stop it makes. Do you really think Umbrella would use it if it were capable of breaking down mid-journey? Again, they pride themselves on everything own, and mechanical failures in the most popular train in the city wouldn't sit well with employees, especially the executives, so make no mistake, they would check, and double-check, to make sure the train was running at one hundred percent."

"Then they changed the timetable." Jamie replied, adding, "Given the facility in question is far out there, it would be more reasonable to assume they decided there was no point in making a last return stop before shutting down for the night, and decided to shut down at the facility instead."

For a just a brief second, it looked like Andrew had no response, prompting Jamie to mentally claim victory.

Until Andrew did respond. "Plausible. Any other train and that would be acceptable. Except we're talking about Umbrella's Ecliptic Express, a train that has stuck to its timetable for years and has never once in its history, changed or adjusted its timetable."

The response earned a subtle frown from Jamie.

"Plus..." Andrew added, "Even if the train did shut down at its destination for the night, don't you think Bryan or Danny would have gotten in contact with us to let us know?"

Silence was Jamie's response.

Connor grinned and nudged his brother. "He's got ya there bro."

The younger sibling just folded his arms and looked away, clearly in a bad mood now.

Alex finally spoke up again, and asked, "Ok, so what do you think happened Andrew?"

"I can only come to one conclusion." Andrew said, adding, "Something bad happened."

Scott then asked, "What exactly?"

Andrew shook his head, unsure. "I don't know. All I do know, is that something went wrong, and now our friends are far out there in the Arklay Mountains. A very unpopular place to be as of late. Given the recent incidents we've been hearing about taking place out there, it is not out of the realm of possibility to assume that those incidents could potentially be involved in this situation."

"That's...don't you think that's just a little far-fetched?" Connor asked.

His friend simply replied with, "Could be. But then, what other possibilities would there be, if not that?"

When Connor didn't respond, Andrew added, "As...unbelievable as it may sound, I believe the train may have been attacked by the same people responsible for the murders out in the Arklay Mountains. That's the best assumption I can make with what information I have."

Scott nodded. "Fine. I guess we're heading out then."

Jamie looked at him, surprised. "Heading out...where exactly?"

"The Arklay Mountains. Where fucking else?" Scott said.

Of course, the response didn't sit well with Jamie, who replied, "Are you mad? Didn't you just hear what he said? There have been murders out there! Reports even said that people were eaten!"

Scott just stared at him. "...Then we'll bring fucking guns."

Jamie recoiled, surprised by how serious he actually was, and asked, "And...what if we run out of ammo?"

"Then we'll bring fucking plenty of ammo. It's quite obvious, is it not, Jamie?" Scott said.

Jamie waved his hands in defeat and backed away. "Whatever. You guys go ahead and put yourselves in danger, I'm telling you right now, going out there is a bad idea."

Andrew then spoke up again. "Bad idea? Yes. But our friends could be in trouble, Jamie."

"Then call the police! Let them handle it! That's their job!" Jamie argued.

Unsurprisingly, Scott disagreed with him. "The police never get shit done in this city and whenever they do, they're always too fucking late. No, we're taking this into our own hands. I don't trust anyone but myself to take care of this."

"It's illegal to go out there." Jamie tried to argue again.

Connor shrugged. "Well look on the bright side bro, if we get caught at least we'll have a good excuse for being out there. Looking for our friends. At least it won't be some lame excuse like going on a camping trip or something."

Jamie looked back and forth between them, and started to grow frustrated with their insistence on actually going through with this.

He then turned to the one person who could possibly change their minds. "Alex?"

All eyes were on Alex now, who was thinking it through very carefully.

"...If it were us out there...they'd do the same thing." Alex said, making it clear where he stood on the matter, much to Jamie's disappointment.

The look of frustration on Jamie's face was very visible.

After taking a moment to calm down, he shrugged, and replied, "...Fine. You guys go out to the Arklay Mountains, put your lives in danger, but don't say I didn't warn you."

With that, Jamie stormed back into the house.

Connor chuckled. "So serious." He looked at the others, adding, "Don't worry, I'll persuade him to come along. He'll listen to me."

"We could use all the help we can get, Connor." Alex nodded.

The former star quarterback then asked, "If that's the case, why don't we ask some of the other guys to come and give us a hand?"

Scott answered him, "Because we don't want to attract any unwanted attention from the police. And plus, do you really want Marcus constantly bugging us with his stupid riddles?"

"Hm, good point." Connor shrugged. "Oh well. Anyway, I got dibs on the wheel."

Alex then quickly responded with, "No! I'll drive!"

Connor just looked at him. "Why? What's wrong with me driving?"

"N-Nothing. I just think I should be the one to drive, that's all." Alex answered.

The former star quarterback started to look a little angry, and replied, "Oh. Oh I get it, you think a black man driving out to the illegal mountains-"

Andrew rolled his eyes, "Oh here we go." He said, before dragging Connor aside as he continued to rant. "We'll talk to Jamie, you guys sort out everything else." He added, before dragging Connor back into the house.

When they were gone, Alex turned and looked around the street.

"Keeping an eye out for Matt?" Scott asked.

Alex shook his head. "No. Just looking to see if anyone is watching us."

Scott shrugged. "I don't think you have to worry about that. Still early in the morning. And if anyone was, it's just a group of friends standing in the garden, talkin' about the school days."

"..."

"..."

"...What's in the briefcase?" Alex asked, changing the subject. "I've been meaning to ask about it. What's in it? And what's the rest of the story with your dad?"

For a moment, Scott wondered if he should really share that information with his friend.

If he did, he'd end up having to tell the others as well, and soon enough it would only be a matter of time before one of them blurted it out to the wrong people, even if he did keep an eye on them.

At the moment, Scott decided it was best to keep it a secret, at least for now.

"I...can't tell you. I will at some point but, just...not yet." Scott said, looking visibly conflicted over his decision.

Alex noticed this, and asked, "Is it that bad?"

Scott nodded.

That was all Alex needed to know, and he decided to respect Scott's privacy.

Silence followed.

Neither of them said a word.

They just stood and relished the peace and quiet after a, very unexpected night.

A tough night in fact.

If it wasn't bad enough, now they had to prepare to set out on a search and rescue in the Arklay Mountains.

Their bad luck just never seemed to end.

"Thank you." Alex said suddenly.

Scott looked at him and raised a brow. "What for?" He asked.

Alex didn't look back at him, but answered, "For not killing your dad."

"He died anyway Alex." Scott sighed, looking away again. "He died anyway, and all I could do was watch."

The response from his friend was quick though. "But at least it wasn't you."

Again, Scott looked at him.

"I'm glad it wasn't you." Alex added, smiling a little now.

Scott couldn't help but chuckle a little, and replied, "...Alex this is getting cheesy."

"Nah, I think it's appropriate." Alex laughed.

"You would." Scott grinned.

Once more, the two were eventually silent, still thinking about what happened, and what might happen once they set out to find the others.

Then, Alex said something that caught Scott's full attention.

"I hope no one close to me ever betrays me like that."

Scott looked at him, and nodded in understanding. "Yeah. Yeah I know what you mean."

Alex sighed, mentally praying that a day like that never came.

Because if it did, he wasn't sure what he would do.

"So..." Scott said, changing the subject. "Disappearances, murders, people being eaten. Sounds insane doesn't it?"

Alex chuckled. "Yeah..." And looked at his friend.

"What could possibly go wrong, right?"

 _ **(Batman Begins OST - End Credits)**_

* * *

 **Authors Notes: I couldn't find anything suitable, and just recently finished watching the Dark Knight trilogy, so I just stuck that in there and called it a day.**

 **First off, I'd like to give a shout out to Darksymphony777 for I believe it was him that first suggested the idea of using Resident Evil 0 to better develop Bryan and Danny's characters. And of course a shout out to the people that continued to stick with this story, and especially the people that have stuck with my Enduring the Evil stories since my first one. I'm honestly surprised people are still bothering to come back and check for updates and whatnot.**

 **Now, what's next? Well, I already said at the top, I'm going to take a break from writing Resident Evil fanfiction for a while. I'm going to finish other stories and projects that I've left unfinished for too long. After I take care of those, I'll see what to do about starting Enduring the Evil 1 REwrite. And again, if you ever want to know what's going on regarding the stories, just message me, I always reply eventually.**

 **For now, I'll leave a Poll on my profile and let all of you vote on how I should approach posting chapters for Enduring the Evil 1 REwrite.**

 **Anyway, that's about it. Again, please don't constantly ask me about the story, unless you have good questions. And with that, I'll end it here, thanks for reading!  
**


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